Hajimeiru
by RaeOfHearts
Summary: The world has moved on, but Kayura was never able to 'fit' in and find happiness like Hoshi did with her two ronins. On one of her small missions to destroy Nendo, she's saved by the one and only Captain America. There's something brewing from the nether realm again, but now she has to stop it without her armor. This feels like the beginning all over again. Kayura x Steve
1. Prologue

Hajimeiru

 **Sorry guys if this another Ronin Warrior x Avengers. I had built up the spy thing a lot, so it seemed to fit into the Marvel Universe. Besides that, Tsudzuku and Owari take place in the 90s so they fit in before any of the events before the movies. I use the movies because the lore is easier to play with, and I'm in love with Jeremy Renner . (Rowen much?) Anyways, this takes place in sort of present times. I don't own anything, though I wish I did.**

 **Centered more around Kayura than my OC because I find her and the Captain cute and it worked better honestly than writing the sappy love story that the three lovebirds have. Not related to "We Are Ronins" but I might make similar pairing in that story too. SHHHHHHH! (Spoilers)  
**

 **Also, should probably warn about extensive angst, mild self harm, and PTSD in this. I don't write love stories kids, I write tragedies. So if there's any one who has triggers, I promise to put warnings.**

 **Enjoy.**

Prologue

January 1st, 1995

"We have to go," she said.

Hoshi looked at the woman who was packed up and ready to go. There had been a lot going since the last battle and she didn't blame the auburn haired woman who was their main supporter. It was harder to be in that position than any of the warriors that wanted to go.

Hoshi looked out the apartment window, both of the boys were at work, four months of their relationship had been tricky with all sorts of unexpected drama but she was glad for some private time with the wisest of their group. Parked out front was Mia's brand new red jeep all the way from America. In the front seat sat the young man whom she thought got screwed over the most in all of this. He was ragged looking but well kempt because of Mia, his bowl cut grown out and shaggy and his cobalt blue eyes dimmed. He spent his days quietly watching the sky, a shell of his former self, but she knew the black inferno stripped him of his whole being. His memories and personality completely gone. Each of the ronins and warlords had a small piece missing, but they were part of a whole, Yuli had become the singularity.

Hoshi sipped her afternoon tea, her stomach had been giving her issues for days now, "where will you go?"

"I don't know, somewhere far way," she answered with a shake of the head. "He freaks out whevever Ryo comes to see him..."

Hoshi nodded quietly, he did too when she came around, "so you're just gonna go?"

"What other choice do I have? You know Ryo is not right, neither is Sage," she paused and reached out across the table with a single hand. "I can't keep being this person, and I don't see another way out."

"Do you even know where you're going to go, Mia?"

She shook her head.

Hoshi sighed and got up and went to her closet, she kept a lot of her old military things in there, she pulled out a business card to hand her, "there's a man who can help you in America. His name is Danny, he was my lieutenant during the war. He lives in San Rafael, California, ask him to take you to Tahiti."

"Surely a vacation spot is not where I should go."

"Tahiti is far from a vacation, but I don't think you're searching for an escape from this life just more control of it," Hoshi paused as the woman gazed out to the car. She looked back and Hoshi continued, "he would be able to live a happy life at least. Not attached to anything from his past, don't you think?"

Mia stood up and hugged her instantly, "thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," Hoshi smiled as she handed her a small purse and Mia opened it to see a bundle of American cash. "Thank me when you see me again."

Mia nodded and quickly headed out to the car. It wasn't long before the car started up and she watched them vanish. Hoshi heard Seiza ask, 'we will see them again?'

'Guranteed,' she paused, 'but this will be our secret.'

'Most definitely.'


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter

2015

Humans were funny things. She found herself thinking that occasionally when she was strangely impressed by them. Kayura had to remind herself that she was technically human herself but she always did forget things like that when she read through the news. The world was a crazier place than the nether realm ever was and at times she wished to return to the place where time stood still for her. Demons, monsters, and spirits were easily predictable but humans were so complicated. She found herself wondering was she this complicated? Or was that part lost to her in the same place that she was ultimately forged. 'Forged' made it sound like she was a weapon. That, she couldn't deny but it made her sad over all.

She had watching the man for a few days now and she was intrigued. He was built like a god, she had only ever seen Kento wear that much muscle with ease and grace. Hair like spun gold and eyes as blue as the summer skies in Kyoto. She found herself rather confused but reminded herself it was completely normal for her to think men were attractive. She had to keep her mind on her mission and it was the Nendo that was stalking him. A low level one that looked a little like a fox with a couple of tails.

She sighed as she saw its glowing eyes in the alley way of the mans house. The sun was setting as soon as it was down she was going to grab the beast, take it out, and head back to join her war lords. Simple in out. Not that she wanted to be dragged into the real world anyways.

The sun was low enough as she saw the beast slinking around the house. Lucky for her, it didn't see her. She felt for the blade she kept tucked in her belt. She hated human clothing but blending into the shadows was what she did best and she would wear what she had to be normal. She slunk across the roof tops and dropped down behind the beast as she slid the blade out. The beast smiled at her and jumped at her.

She cursed as she jumped back from it and decided to lead it away. The beast was a lot bigger than she realized it was, 'no, its growing it size...'

The beast lunged at her again and she rolled out of the way, the beast slamming into the wall. There was a yelp of people from within and she cursed her lapse of judgement. She should have brought a bigger weapon. She decided to be direct and deal with it before police came and she charged it, small dagger or not, she was formidable. The blade bit deep into the back of the beast's neck and it bucked her off. She slammed her head into wall hard, her vision swimming as she tried to get up. She felt blood running down her neck and she realized that she indeed was still human. The beast smiled as it stalked towards and she thought, 'I'll see anubis soon.'

There was a large clang as her vision went black and she saw a flash of red, silver, and blue and the beast falling away from her but she blacked out before she could see her savior's face.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Steve couldn't help but want to draw the maiden that had taken on a bear sized behemoth in his back yard. Maiden was the best way to describe her as he sketch in his small note book. Her hair was so black and shiny, he fathomed a color darker than black to describe it, matched with skin like fresh milk, and sharp piercing eyes. Like midnight blue had been poured from the sky in them. She looked wrong somehow in the dingy black pants and tattered hoody. Her features too elegant with dark lashes and rosy red lips. It was astonishing to him how he only noticed her following him and not the other thing...the other thing was well a 'thing'? It was blood red and sort of looked like a mix between a saber tooth tiger, a fox, and bear.

She slumbered heavily with a bandaged head. Officially, she wasn't in custody but they were at a S.H.I.E.L.D base where the beast was put under quarantine. He had been advised to interrogate her but knowing that she wasn't following him to hurt him but stop whatever that was made him uneasy to arrest her officially.

He didn't hear the red head who had walked into the lobby, "you're such a softy."

He scowled as she looked over his shoulder at his drawing of her, he had drawn her hood into a more middle era style with some flowers. He shut it from her prying eyes, "any idea what that thing is?"

"No, but the locals are calling it a bear," she smiled as she looked over at the sleeping woman. "Ever hear of Norman Rockwell?"

"He was nice guy compared to Pollock," he answered with a smile and standing up. He could have sworn he saw the woman's lashes flutter. He motioned for the spy to walk before him so they could talk more freely, "what do you think of her?"

"She's cute, I give her a nine," she said and saw him scowl. "Oh you mean, what did I dig up?"

"Precisely."

"Nada."

"Hm," he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I mean zip, no gene file, no finger prints, no dental records, no iris scans," she paused with a serious shrug. "The girl is a serious ghost."

"So someone sent her to protect me from that thing?"

"And she botched it." She smirked, "I'm sure you get something out of her."

"Don't you even start."

"What I think she's gorgeous for a ghost," she laughed, "fine, I'll go work on who she is or what that thing is while you sweet talk her."

He saw her wink before she headed out and he shook his head in disappointment. The woman never ceased to try and 'hook him up' as she put it. Sure the woman was pretty but she was hardly his type. He was wary, during the war there more enemies than Hydra and the nazis but they were definitely the biggest. Was she American and someone didn't trust him in S.H.I.E.L.D to protect himself? Was she Chinese, Japanese, Korean? Was there more than one faction? Too many thoughts raced through his head.

He saw her open her eyes as he walked in she looked a bit frazzled by him as he sat down across from her, "I wouldn't try anything."

She didn't say anything just watched him with her brilliant eyes.

"Look you aren't officially under arrest but you are interrogation," he paused, "try anything and there will be one hundred people here at a moments notice."

She smiled politely as she sat up and then with a thick accent said, "I speak very little English...watashi wa nihonjin desu. (I am Japanese.)"

He nodded as he looked her over, she looked so out of place in her black outfit. "Boku wa Steve."

"Watashi wa Kayura desu," she answered with a clap of her hands, "sugoi nihongodesune! (Very good Japanese.) "

"Sukoshii dake desu (Only a little) ," he answered replied as she looked him over. She was a mysterious thing. "Do you know who I am?"

She nodded.

"That is?"

She smiled with a salute, "Captain America desunee!"

He wanted to laugh at her sweet disposition, "then you know following me is an issue."

"Nendo-go no kotodeshita," she replied and he shook his head. He had no idea what that mean. She sighed and tried to rephrase, "Nendo was after you, not I."

"Is that what its called."

She nodded.

"What is it," he asked and she shrugged.

"Sore ga watashi no shimeidatta, watashi wa shitsumon o shimasen (I only know my mission, and my mission was it.)," she said to see him befuddled again. He would have to wait til Natasha got back to translate her more thoroughly but he had a feeling she wasn't a threat.

"You must be thirsty."

She nodded as he went to the vending machine and got her a water. He handed it to her and his hand touch hers, he saw several scars on her hands and he looked into her dark eyes that burned like fire. She smiled at him and said, "domo, Rogers-san."

He never told her his last name.

 **Sorry for all the Romanized Japanese, Lol. I figure Steve would know some considering the era he came from. Other than that, he has a bit of a hard time understanding her because she uses very formal and archaic versions of the language.**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"What is it," Natasha asked of the auburn haired woman.

Maria looked up, "its not Chitauri."

"That's pretty obvious," she said with an irritated smile. The woman seemed to be keeping something to herself. "There is nothing on her. Nothing. I thought me and Clint were scrubbed."

"Yes, but you and Clint started after S.H.I.E.L.D got direct government funding," she said as she opened the beasts mouth which was filled with ton of sharp teeth covered in red saliva. "What do you know about the original code names?"

"Just stories from where I started."

Maria looked at its enormous paw, "well, she might be a Kage."

"A what?"

"The old agents talk about them, not even ghost stories, just whispers on the wind," she said with a smirk. "People who don't exist because they exist to be secrets."

"You really think she's one?"

"Any other explanations?"

"She's alien."

Maria snorted, "that's a possibility too."

"Well back to my plan then," Natasha grinned ear to ear. Maria could see she had something devious on her mind about the two. "Cap thinks she's harmless, let's test that shall we."

"You're going to scare that poor guy from liking women all together."

"A boy would make a bunch of women in New York even happier," Natasha teased as she walked out. She was concerned but the other agents weren't there yet, so she wasn't exactly concerned yet. Although, setting Steve up with a potential threat wasn't ideal but it could work in their favor if she was a hostile.

Natasha saw her first as she walked into the lobby, her dark hair eyes piercing hers, "well, hows your Snow White, Prince Charming."

"Prince Charming was sleeping beauty," he corrected with a frown. "I know that one."

She shook her head, he was oblivious at times, "anything?"

"Kore wa Natasha desu (This is Natasha.)," he said to the woman.

"Ah! Soudesunee! Black Widow," she beamed as she stood up and bowed. "Kayura desu."

"O ai dekite ureshīdesu (It's a pleasure)," she said to the woman. Japanese was going to be a small issue, she wondered how Steve felt about it considering they were allies with the Nazis in WWII. Well, they weren't fighting, so that was a good sign.

Steve frowned, "maybe you can tell me what she says?"

"Sure," she gleamed. It was time for operation 'pick up hot asian chick', if he wasn't going to go American, he was going to eat out.

He knew that look and, "no Nat, just what she says."

"Fine, but you're missing out."

"Hardly."

"Watashi ga itte ita yō ni, watashi wa sono kurīchāde wa arimasen nani. Watashi wa watashi no wariate ni shitsumon o shite imasen. Gomen'nasai," Kayura purposely interrupted. She hated playing dumb, but honestly this was ridiculous. The woman was obviously playing some game with him and his heart. She really needed to see the beast not get stuck in some strange love game, not that she didn't find the man decent looking, she just didn't care for love at this point.

"She says, 'as I was saying, I don't know what that creature is I was only following my mission. Sorry'," Natasha translated but then scowled, "Dare no tame ni hataraite iru nodesu ka? (Who sent you on that mission?) "

Kayura shifted her sweater and pulled up the sleeve. Steve could see a thousand little cuts on her hand sand forearms, but it was the tattoo on her for arm that was curious. Where had he seen it before?

Natasha frowned, "you're a merc."

Kayura nodded singularly.

Steve asked, "huh?"

"That's the same thing another merc friend of ours has on his neck," she sighed as she thought back to the battle with Ultron, "looks like more than one person paid dearly to get some vibranium once upon a time."

Kayura smiled ever so sweetly as she rolled down her sleeve, "sore o sanshō shite kudasai koto wa dekimasu ka? (Would it be possible for me to see the creature?)"

"I don't see why not, you should be able to see thing you botched at," Natasha sighed as she helped the girl up. "Steve want to see the thing you took down?"

"Might as well."

 **Sorry for the romanization. I like short chapters by the way, easy to write, and crank out.**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Kayura was curious about the stray Nendo, there was something she was not being told by her boss, but it was auburn haired woman who caught her attention foremost. She was sitting down in a chair next to the beast using different machinery to scan the beast. They locked eyes only momentarily before the auburn haired woman said first, "you know, you cause a huge mess when you mess up."

Kayura smirked and crossed her arms, "honestly, its only the second time I've messed up on anything ever. Considering my track record, that's impressive. "

Natasha frowned at Steve as he said, "you spoke English this whole time?"

Kayura smiled whimsically, "no, I speak English when I really want to."

"Wait, how do you know our boss?"

Maria raised an eyebrow, "old friend."

"Is that what we are?"

"So she is S.H.I.E.L.D," Steve scowled at the three women. Was this an elaborate plan to set him up? Unbelievable.

"No," Kayura answered as cool as ice. He noticed what little emotions she did show were probably all facades. It was hard to read her before when he had to translate what she was her but with her words in English she was even more stoic than Natasha was at times. No expression in her face, just words. "I have nothing to do with S.H.I.E.L.D, I am a merc, my services are occasionally sought out but this was another not your employers who sent me."

Maria asked, "who would that be?"

"Some of the originals," she smiled sweetly. Her smiles seemed like someone was pulling marionette strings inside of her, it wasn't real.

Maria glared again and then snapped, "they need to mind their own business."

"The originals," asked Steve of Natasha.

She scrunched her nose, crossed her arms, "before S.H.I.E.L.D was a publicly government funded agency there were agents who were the original code names. Most of dead from some internal conflict from what I know but there are few out there who have a lot of clout. One of them is protecting you?"

"Kitten sends her regards," Kayura said as answer to the question, she knew when to give information. In this situation, if she tried to hide it, Maria was sure to call her on it and that would make things far more difficult than needed to be. She still had to keep their activities secret overall, with some clever lies and partial truths, they would remain that way. It also seemed like Maria wanted to keep her past just as much of a secret and Kayura wanted to remain a free Merc, so it was a strange quiet bargaining between the two of them. "She had a feeling I might run into you all eventually."

Maria cursed under her breath, "tell her to mind her own business."

"You know how she is," Kayura smiled as she watched Natasha grow weary.

Steve knew the look on the agent's face and asked, "who's Kitten? She doesn't sound too dangerous..."

"I only know the ghost stories of an agent that they saved from a bombing in the middle east that they turned into a berserker who went off grid decades ago," Natasha paused watching Maria who seemed to know what she was talking about, "she had a partner named Wolf who left soon after that."

Maria stood up, "they were liabilities according to Fury anyways."

"So you knew them then," asked Natasha becoming more suspicious of her boss than the small merc who was not letting one grain of information through.

Maria nodded, "I am not at liberty say anything."

Kayura crossed her arms, she really had to get on with her other missions. Being stuck on this one this long was sure to cause worry among her house guests, "well, either way, you need to get rid of this thing. I assure you its not dead."

Maria sighed, "no, its in our hands and we dispose of it if necessary not before that."

"Fine, I warned you all," she paused to look at her red nails which were strangely manicured to perfection, "so I am assuming I am not under arrest and free to go if you're going to assume responsibility of this thing?"

"Toodles," Maria replied waving her fingers lightly. She could tell Kayura was less than please with her attitude but she didn't care for hers either. She didn't have time to deal with her but that was fine. "Cap, can you take her back to the city?"

He nodded but uncertain if they should let the woman go. Technically not a danger or threat to them, but mercenaries were not his favorite people in their community. They had a tendency to come back and bite him. He was still uncertain of who the originals were even and didn't want to entertain the idea that this might have been some sort of set up by them. Natasha nudged him before he left but he ignored the woman. She was going to be the death of him before any mercenary was.

Kayura walked quietly next to him as they went to the hanger where his bike was, "I didn't have a chance to thank you."

He replied with a disgruntled look, "no you insisted on playing Japanese."

"I am Japanese."

"You'll have to excuse me then if it seems like I am rude," he said. He was more than willing to see the good in anyone, but the paranoia that were beaten into him during WWII was hard to ignore. A lot of it was easy to over come, but there was this strange sense he shouldn't trust her and he blamed it on that. He had many Nisei pals during WWII but just like there was Hydra in Germany there were similar things in Japan, none that he had the pleasure to meet on his tour and just like Hydra he wondered if any of them could still viable in this day and age. The rise of Hydra inside of S.H.I.E.L.D still made it hard for him to trust the every day agents who worked alongside them.

"I know you were from WWII, but this isn't WWII and honestly this is a new era," she replied and she found herself wondering why she cared what he thought of her. Sure, he was gorgeous but honestly not her type. Not that she had type, all her years fighting and surviving had never really given her a chance at having a moment to think about that sort of thing. She had, at one point, fancied one of the ronins but that was before he lost his mind but the Captain was nothing similar to him.

"Hard habits are hard to break," he said as he handed her a helmet. "Let me ask you one thing, that thing is after me, why?"

She shrugged as she looked the helmet over, "honestly, I don't know and it doesn't seem to concern your boss."

"Will there be more?"

She shook her head, "there was only one in this area as far I know."

The ground shook heavily sending her tumbling into the man. The brief moment she was in his arms as the lights went out, she could feel his warmth and smell of his aftershave. She pushed away as soon as the lights came back on the alarms began to sound. She rubbed her brow, "shimmatta ne..."

Steve sighed, "you did tell her. Stay here if you don't want to get involved."

She watched him run out of the hangar with several other agents following him. She leaned against the bike with the helmet, she could take off at that moment with great ease. She really didn't want to get involved, obviously, he could handle himself better than she could from the large bump on the back of her head that throbbed with every movement she made. It was be so easy to vanish but she there was the thing that ate at her. Even if she wasn't a priestess there were things from her child hood that made her do honorable things still.

She mumbled as she headed back into the base, "I better not be labeled a traitor for this."

 **So Kayura is a little more than Steve first realized she was. XD LOL She's a bigger mystery than he even realizes.**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Maria pulled out her gun as the beast tried to grab her with knobby furry hand. She rolled under it and shot it several times but she knew the bullets wouldn't' work. It had doubled in size the moment it snapped awake and she should have let Kayura take it out when she said to do so. The ground shook as it roared, making the lights go out and come back on. She cursed as it broke out of the holding area and it slammed through the wall behind her. She hated monsters, she could deal with individuals, but mindless beasts were not easily tricked if they had insatiable appetites.

"Duck," she heard a metallic voice yell and she rolled as bright white beam passed above her head.

She looked up at a silver armor that was stacked in a variety of guns as they started running off, "Rhodes, when did you get back?"

"A few minutes ago," he answered as the beast halted at the spray of bullets that bounced of its armor like fur. It snarled and she saw it double in size again, making the walls and roof buckle around it. "What in hell is that?"

She lied, "beats me."

They started down the hall as the beasts size seemed to make impermeable from the bullets. She saw a row of agents but she motioned for them to move to the nearby hanger because it would give them room to fight at least. The beast tried to grab her again but a winged hero grabbed her and she smiled at the metallic angel named Sam, "getting better at that."

"When it counts."

She smiled as she saw the other two super humans break through the line of firing agents. The halted beast was snarling as the woman in red raised her hands. Red energy circled her hands as she created a blast but the beast seemed unphased by that either and swiped the agents away. Maria saw the Vision grab its paw and swing it into the ground but each act of violence seem to make it even larger. Widow walked in guns blazing but the beast ignored her. It tried to grab the flying hero but a familiar patriotic shield knocked it away. It snarled at the blonde man as it caught the shield. It roared in frustration as each of its attacks against the fallen agents were blocked by the red energy that Wanda produced. It snarled as it scrunched up into a charge separating the group.

Maria ordered the agents with her com, "fall back!"

Cap stood next to her, "probably should have gotten rid of it."

The back of the beast sprouted hedge hog like spines as the agents retreated. Spines shot at them and Cap grabbed his boss behind his shield. Vision kicked it flat as Wanda bounced the spikes away. Falcon, Widow, and War Machine tried to keep the beast occupied as it got back up and it swiped at them. The beast reared up and tried to grab the rafter beams to bring it down, but the small dark haired woman dropped down and stabbed it in the eye sending it careening back wards in pain. She landed with ease next to the Captain and Maria.

Maria asked, "any brilliant ideas?"

"Like I said, getting rid of it would have been best, now you see why," she mocked lightly.

Steve bounced away a spike, "perhaps now is not the time for I told you so's ladies."

"Indeed," Kayura agreed as the beast ripped the blade out and stood up, red blood gushing from its eye. "Traditional weapons won't harm it...but that will."

Cap looked at his shield, "I noticed."

"My dagger is vibranium for that reason," she said and remembered the mark on her arm that branded her a thief for stealing it from a small village in Africa. Mukala had found it hilarious at the time but then saw the burn the Wakandan people had given her. "Its big enough that if it swallows it, it might make it implode."

"Worth a shot," he said.

Maria ordered into the com, "time to make this beast take its pills."

Cap threw his shield but the beast bounced it off with a spine. Widow picked up threw it back towards falcon who bounced it towards War Machine. The beast swatted at as they bounced it around, Vision knocking it into its head. Widow grabbed Maria as the beasts wild thrashing threw cars and SUVs. Kayura nimbly dodged with Cap at her back but it was Wanda who grabbed her when a car came her way.

Kayura felt the energy of the woman surge through her in a moments notice and the whole world faded out in a single blink. She felt her vision grow black and she looked towards the a dark throne with a dark smiling figure. She knew it was a vision and broke the hold the woman had her just as Vision forced the beast's mouth open and Cap slam dunked the shield in.

Kayura grabbed the woman behind the car as the beast almost immediately exploded into red goo. She heard Widow complain, "ew..."

Wanda helped her stand up and smiled at her.

Kayura gulped. She knew she should have left.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The shower and new clothes felt good after being covered in red ectoplasm. Albeit, fatigues weren't really her style, but who was she to complain as long as she was warm, clean, non goo covered. Not like she had fancy silks anymore. Wanda handed her a towel and a brush for her immensely long hair as she walked out of her bathroom, "how long does it take to comb that everyday?"

"I keep it braided most of the time," she replied as she sat down on the woman's bed to easily comb it. It was a hassle, and she had entertained the possibility of cutting it several times, but it was the only thing that remained of her ancient identity. "You're an Oracle."

"Is that what I was called in your time?"

"So its not just one way."

"No, unfortunately, not always," she said with a frown. She was a gorgeous woman with dark auburn hair and dark eyes. Kayura was almost reminded of her friend and savior Anubis in some strange way. "You and Cap have a lot in common."

"Yeah, sort of," she paused quietly, "a thousand years is a lot different than sixty though."

The woman nodded, she seemed to understand all of it oddly enough, "you should probably go before Fury wants all of the details. Maria says you are of no harm and ordered Cap to let you go."

She finished combing out her hair and quickly braided it and pulled it up. It amazed Wanda how quickly she did it but remembered a thousand years is long enough time for anyone to memorize anything with ease. Kayura replied, "thank you for not saying anything, may I ask did you see what I did?"

She shook her head, "no."

"Good," she answered and Wanda could see that she was deeply concerned.

"Let me know if you need anything," she said giving her a hug.

Kayura hugged the woman back, she had a feeling that she wasn't necessarily a hugger but it was nice that the woman felt she needed one. She opened her door, "thanks a bunch."

"We'll meet again," Wanda smiled and Kayura hoped under better circumstances but knew better.

She quickly walked down the hall towards and turned down a hall bumping into Steve and falling back. He caught her and she shoved him off, "you have got to stop doing that."

"Old habits die hard," he said again to her, it was unintentional but she always seemed so lost in thought. She was giving him that blank doll look again. "Look, I'm sure you have to go before Fury gets back and wants to talk with you but I wanted to give this back to you."

She smiled as he handed her the Bibranium dagger, "thank you, Rogers-san."

"Please, call me Steve."

"You can call me Kay," she replied the corners of her mouth barely turning up into a smile. "It was nice to meet you..."

"Can I ask one thing before you go?"

She nodded, she owed the American God at least that, "as long as you don't ask where I'm going."

"Next time you're put on a mission to 'save me' let me know first," he teased and she couldn't help but smile for real.

She stood on tip toe and kissed his cheek and then patted his shoulder, "don't worry, I think you can handle yourself."

He watched her vanish into the shadows of the base and groaned as he thought about the other monsters she must chase. Such a mysterious small thing. He almost jumped out of his skin as Natasha elbowed him as she came to his side. "Fury wants to see you."

"I figured as much."

"You should go after her, Fury can wait."

He scowled at the red haired woman, "don't read into it that way. It's not like we're compatible."

"Steve, the war is over," she replied with a roll of the eyes. "Sometimes I think you're stuck in the forties still."

"No, it has nothing to do with her nationality," he paused as he turned to walk away, "it has everything to do with her being more secretive than you are."

She pursed her lips and followed him, "secrets are only secrets til you find them out. Have you asked out that other agent yet?"

"No," he groaned. It was going to be one of those days where everything had gone wrong and Natasha still insisting that he go out with someone. He had to admit that he thought Kayura was unique beauty with unique talents but she wasn't his ideal woman. Perhaps if he saw her again but he doubted that would ever happen. He wondered why Maria didn't want him to go after her, even after he protested, she insisted that he was to remain on the base and let her go. He walked past the lab where the beast had been and he saw her with a flash drive at the console she had been working on. Something struck him as odd as he walked past, she looked scarred for the first time he had ever seen.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Kayura dropped into the old abandoned mansion, it was quiet and dark. She loved the dark, it was so easy to be lost and unseen in this world of technology. She never quite adapted to the technology part there were useful things like newspapers and refrigerators. She felt her muscles scream, and wished for the days when she had armor, she never felt anything even in the smallest of battles. She heard a slither from the dark and she groaned...

A silver haired man slipped out of the darkness of the home in front of her, he smiled darkly, "well you botched that pretty well, even for you."

she frowned, "I'm tired, still smell like ectorplasm, and every muscle is on fire, can we talk about this in the morning?"

Kayura turned around and bumped into a dark haired man with a scar over his eye, "no, its of utmost importance we talk now."

"Great, can I least get something to eat, stalking a super growing Nendo really makes me famished," she said pushing past him and head towards the kitchen. There was a rattle next to her and felt hot breath on her neck, she shoved Sekhmet away from her. "Nope, that won't work this time..."

Sekh laughed as Dais and Kale balanced him to follow her into the kitchen of the old house. Kale snarled as she walked along, "it was all over the news!"

"Thankfully they thought it was a bear," Dais said with a laugh. "Ridiculous headline, 'Captain America saves neighborhood from wild bear'."

"I can't help that he's adept at protecting himself from all sorts of trouble," she replied as she opened the fridge and pulled out a pre made sandwich from Target. Definitely the best modern invention was refrigeration.

"Ooh, sounds like someone has a crush," Kale teased.

"Oh, please," she snarled. "Is that what you all are uptight about?"

"That and you almost exposed us," Sekh hissed in her ear. She didn't flinch when the man who had all the attributes of a snake did things like this anymore. As a child, she would cry and whimper, she was no child anymore and he didn't scare her either. He had big white eyes with small ark pupils, and hair the color of rotten moss.

She shoved him away, "I think I have a pretty good track record for being a millennium..."

Dais just glared at her in the night of the house, "that's not relevant and you know it."

"Why did the three of you come here anyways, just to scold me like a bad child?"

Kale crossed his arms, "see, she thinks we're being meddling parents..."

She couldn't help but scowl at him as well and then bit into her sandwich, "meddling is good way to put it."

Dais quietly matched her look, "when your actions have consequences, I see no other reason that we shouldn't step in."

"You sound like you might actually be concerned for me," she replied back.

"You are one of us whether you like it or not," Kale added with a sternness to his voice. "We need you back as our Ogre."

"Oh, so that's really why you're here," she replied back angrily. "No, I left for a reason."

"I told you she would say that," Sekh laughed at the man with a familiar rattle. The two shot him a look and he shut up.

"I left because of this, your perpetual mockery and babysitting smothers me," she said slamming her hands down on the counter. "I spent most of my life imprisoned inside of my own head, I think I finally get to grow up and you three are the examples I have to look up to. All you do is mock my failures and make my life miserable. Not only that, the last twenty years we've been on Earth we're still cursed with the immortality of the armors and the affliction of fighting human battles. I want to live my own life, I want to be normal, and I want to be left alone by you."

Sekh raised a hand in her direction, "see?"

She groaned as Kale said, "look, you can't keep living like this because of Ryo."

"You can't keep blaming this on him either," she replied with a huff. "It was a crush, I learned my lesson but that had nothing to do with I left you. Four years, you three, don't even so much as drop me a line but the moment I mess up you try to rescue me. I am not a damsel and I am not princess."

"Funny, considering where you're crashing," Dais smiled.

"Look, if you chasing that golden wolf still, you're on what the American's call 'a wild goose chase'," she replied, "you're not getting anywhere fast."

Dais nodded, "understood but you're wrong why we're here."

"Oh," she asked.

"We're here because Lady Hoshi asked us drop you line on our way through," he continued as if it was nothing. "We thought it would be a pleasure to see our 'little sister' again, I guess its less of pleasure really."

She rolled her eyes but then smiled, "and what was the message from our Lady?"

"That she would like to see you in the morning when her and Rowen come to New York."

She frowned as they vanished into the dark. She grabbed her sandwich and drink and headed up stairs regretting tomorrow would ever happen but was strangely content with the day, even if it was a failure.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Steve woke to his annoying cell phone ringing, he remembered a time when he hated land lines but the cell was even worse. He rolled over on his side and flipped it open before he could even open his eyes. He spent most of the night going over events with Fury, and then a few more hours filling out paper work by that time he was wide awake and had to work out an hour or two to get enough energy burnt off to sleep. He grunted quietly, only one person called him on his phone, "yeah..."

"Yo, Capsicle! Hey hey, sleeping beauty!"

"Hey, Tony," he groaned as he sat up and opened his eyes. The room he crashed in at the base over night didn't have a window. He decided it was best if he didn't go home for an hours sleep.

"Hey, I hear you're into wild life rescue now."

"Just a small incident in my neighborhood," he said as a half truth but knew Tony knew the reality of everything going on at the base.

"Yeah, well, I have a friend of mine from college coming into town so we're having a party tonight," the man hooted. Steve could almost see the smiling man grinning from ear to ear like the excited man child he was. "Care to join me, you ol hound dog you."

It was technically his day off, he was going to go for a run and work out, but there was little more for him to do after doing his routine. He opened his door and saw the man standing right next to it, and he frowned, "I'm hanging up now."

Tony was a shorter than him by a great deal with dark hair, dark eyes, and perfectly trimmed goatee. He wore clothes more expensive than Steve's whole year of pay and had smile from ear to ear. He clapped in on his shoulder as he pushed his way in, "what's up boss."

Steve snorted, "you could have just knocked."

"I could have, but that would have been less restful," he grinned as he sat on the terribly uncomfortable bunk.

"Pepper and you got in a fight, huh?"

"Fight? No," he said with a shake of his head. "More like she was peeved that I'm meeting up with Ro."

"Ro," he asked. He had heard about this man a few times from Pepper, but sounded like she disliked his wife more than him. "Who is he again?"

"We went to college together and he's the only genius I know who hasn't tried to kill me yet."

That's right, the man owned one of the biggest tech firms in Japan. He never met him but Tony didn't have many friends outside of their group, and that was one Banner thought was an odd duck.

"No, I think you should leave that up to Pepper."

"Funny first thing in the morning," he laughed, "anyways, he's in town to sign a contract with someone so I wanted to throw a party."

"And I'm invited?"

"Actually everyone is but you're the only available along with Nat?"

Steve nodded, "yeah, Rhodes and Sam are working today. You don't want Vision and Wanda?"

"She seems preoccupied by something, who blew up the hanger last night?"

"More than a bear," Steve answered.

"Oh, well, exterminator looks good on you."

"What's wrong, Tony."

"Fury says Maria went off the grid last night," he paused holding up a thumb drive. Steve recognized it as the one from last night. "Something spooked her good whatever happened, I hope you have longer explanation than earthly Odin but he can't get whatever she put on here. It's encrypted terribly well."

Steve leaned on his knees and folded his hands, was it the 'bear' or the woman named Kayura that spooked his boss. It bothered him that the woman who fearlessly faced down Chitauri, Hydra, and Ulton minions was spooked by a girl who couldn't even defeat her own monster. He asked, "so why do you want me there?"

"Just thinking that the woman who fearlessly helped us out so many times shouldn't be spooked so easily?"

Steve had to agree with simple nod, "what did Fury tell you."

"Said she had a past like the rest of us but hers might still have teeth."

Steve didn't like the sound of that. She was a formidable woman on her own, but he never thought any of the mild mannered lady having a 'past'. He nodded, "sure, you think that might cause some trouble?"

"I'm guessing so," he said holding it up. "Something on here could let us know what she freaked out about and if she's in trouble."

"Sounds like you're fond of her."

"What can I say, she's kept my ass out of trouble numerous times."

Steve stood up, she had kept them all out of trouble more than once, "just let me get dressed."

There was something biting at him, it all seemed to coincidental. The monster targeting him, his boss vanishing, and Maria taking information. He really hoped this would be a party, but the last one sort of affirmed it wouldn't be. He would bring his shield just in case.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Kayura stood on the other side of the room as Rowen walked out of the shower not wearing a shirt. He wore khaki colored slacks, and a towel draped over his lean muscled shoulders. Like the rest of them he hadn't aged a day since the battle with Ameno. His wild blue hair was still damp and he smiled with his green eyes at his wife who was laying on the bed.

Hoshi hadn't changed much either in Kayura's opinion, but it seemed like she grew into her body, or her afflictions were taken at away the very least. Her silver white hair had grown long but she kept the diagonal cut bangs to hide what little scars remained. Kay guessed that Owari healed her wounds from the war she had been in because an armor couldn't have a damaged host but it was more than that. She was stronger, less damaged mentally, more sure of her actions.

Hoshi smiled as she put her phone down next to her, "Kento wants to skype call you tonight with Jun and Sei."

Rowen smiled at the thought of their kids, "I hope they're behaving."

"Jun and Sei, absolutely," Hoshi laughed, "now Kento, I don't know about that." She looked at Kayura, "well, sorry, about that Nendo..."

"You knew it was Captain America," Kayura replied.

Rowen looked at Hoshi, "you can't fool her. I told you, she's clever."

Hoshi smiled at the woman, "yes, and I realized it may have been a tougher two person hunt..."

"Why did you want me to be taken into a S.H.I.E.L.D base, you could have had everyone compromised," Kayura replied. "And why was it after Captain America of all people?"

"I knew it wouldn't go that far, I just wanted confirm my suspicions that Maria Hill was our beloved Mia Koji," she answered. "It wasn't after him, it was after that tasty Vibranium he always carries with him."

"And I couldn't have just been a shadow and snuck in?"

"No," Hoshi paused, "because if you got caught, and I'm sure that would happen, we would have been compromised. There was a fifty fifty chance that they wouldn't see you as threat and let you go."

"Gee."

Rowen sat down next to Hoshi, "so it is Mia?"

"Yes," Kayura nodded. "She seemed really spooked to see me, and I understand that, why couldn't you leave your suspicions alone."

"She hacked into my mainframe when Ultron broke into steal the little Vibranium I had," Rowen paused, "I wanted to know why a S.H.I.E.L.D agent wanted to steal data on the Legend of the Five Armors."

"I had no way to prove it," Hoshi added.

"Glad to know I'm a pawn."

"Better than being Masho, isn't it," Hoshi asked but the woman didn't respond her face was cool and unreadable as any of the former war lords. "Did that fare well?"

"Don't send them to give me messages again, I have a cell phone as well, you know."

"Dais insisted," she replied with a shrug. "I have little control over him."

Kayura knew that much, not even Talpa had control of him once upon a time, "what did you want me to do?"

"You're going to be my bodyguard," Rowen said as he went to his closet and pulled on a button up shirt and looked at her. "I had a tracker algorithm bedded in the file that she took, and Tony Stark has it somehow. Thankfully, its encrypted beyond S.H.I.E.L.D capabilities, but I am unsure of Stark. He's incredibly brilliant..."

"And an incredible asshole," Hoshi added, "I am on my way to meet with Raleigh about Ryo and Sage, can you please do this?"

She remembered the woman was with Cye in the UK last time she checked, "I will."

"Great, I have a gift for you," she said quietly clapping her hands and jumping up to the chest and pulled out a brand new suit. Kayura guess she had to look the part.

She frowned at Rowen, "there better be a sandwich in this for me."


	11. Chapter 10

**So, Party time! I hope you guys like!**

 **Also thanks to Ookami Princess for Steve's line about how many people in their group speak Japanese. LOL, he'll pick up more as the story goes along, so I'll just be translating for you guys. XD**

Chapter Ten

The former Avengers tower was surprisingly in one piece when Steve arrived. Natasha seemed impressed too but the party was already starting so she couldn't be too impressed. Stark's super power was money, of course a week was good enough to fix the place up perfect. There were mostly business people and she sighed, she hated these sort of Stark parties, but she was concerned that there was going to be a confrontation, so she was there in her best finery. A little black dress with a red sash, matching necklace and earrings, and heals. She could fight anyone in anything but Steve was dressed to 'sort of' impress, which made her feel like she went over the top. He was never going to win over a girl dressed like that, even with his naturally gorgeous looks. She looked at Steve in his gray slacks and button up, "you look like an old man."

"I am an old man," he replied and he saw her roll her eyes. She seemed extremely irritated. He added, "I know this place has lots of memories for you..."

She smiled at him in a fake way, as she did when she was trying to hide her emotions, "it's fine. We have a job to do."

Tony saw them from a ways off and raised a champagne glass to signal them to come over and join him at the bar. He smiled as they sat on either side of him, "smokin', Tasha..."

She rolled her eyes, "I know what you need us for."

"Ouch, already crabby," he laughed.

Steve leaned over and pulled the champagne away, "no, celebrating..."

"Okay, dad," he complained but then looked towards the elevator and saw the familiar blue hair. He stood up immediately, "come on guys, let me introduce you."

Steve walked back with Natasha, "he's chipper."

"Only one other genius makes Stark this happy," she said lightly not trying to say the man's name. Natasha wasn't showing her hurt but he was concerned for her, none the less.

"Iraishai," Tony said holding his hands up with a smile ear to ear.

The blue haired man was dressed casually in khaki slacks and dark blue polo, "Tony, its good to see you. Is this all for me? You shouldn't have, I would have been happy with beers and a baseball game."

"Yes, you finally moved into the big leagues," he replied clapping a hand to his shoulder and then spotted the dark woman who had followed him through the elevator. She wore a dark pants suit with a black shirt, red tie, and heals. Her hair was tied up in a tight bun with a red spider mum. "Oh, you brought the cutie pie."

Steve looked around Tony to see Kayura and she met his eyes but quickly glanced away. Rowen draped an arm around her shoulder as she walked forward, "this is my body guard, Kay."

Kayura bowed, "Yorokon de. (It's a pleasure.)"

Steve saw Natasha's glance at him and raised an eyebrow as Tony grabbed her hand and kissed it, "Yorokobi wa subete no kōzan, watashi no utsukushī kurai hanadesu.( The pleasure is all mine, my beautiful dark flower)."

She yanked her hand away as Natasha grabbed Tony's ear, "aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Oh, right," Tony paused, "Ro, Kay, this is Steve and Nat."

Rowen rolled his eyes as he watched Kayura smoldering with anger at the American business man, he smiled at the two and shook their hands, "name's Rowen Hashiba, Hashiba Industries, we specialize in aerospace technology and astro nuclear physics."

Steve raised a brow, there were several accented words that weren't because of nationality, "are you from Brooklyn?"

Rowen nodded, "my accent comes from my Mom. She covered your wonderful feats of bravery during the Chitauri invasion, Earth owes you both a great debt of gratitude."

Tony turned his attention to him, "hey, you never thanked me."

Rowen smiled, "nah, I knew you would make a murder bot eventually to make up for your good deeds. So I felt it unnecessary since you would balance it out eventually."

"Nice to know you believe in me." Tony sighed as he watched Kay lean against the elevator door unimpressed by anyone there, "you can invite cutie to my lab..."

"No, she will kill you for laying another hand on her," Rowen said, "she whooped Happy downstairs because he looked at her funny."

Tony snorted, "I have something you might want to look at in the lab anyways."

"I hope not another murder bot," Rowen asked. "Because, lucky for you, I am not Banner and I will not hesitate to make you stop doing something grossly stupid."

Tony clapped a hand on his shoulder and they started walking towards the loft like lab built above the den. Steve looked at Nat and the two headed over to the small woman who looked up with dark smile. "Rowen, has the patients of saint."

Nat scowled, "you look like you slept well."

"I've run on less doing more," she replied looking up at the lab and then to her nails. "The gentleman named Happy will be nursing the bump on his head for a few days."

Steve crossed his arms and shook his head, "you really think its wise to be here?"

"I have to do what my boss asks me to do, and she asked me to look after her husband," she said turning her eyes to the lab then back to her nails. "I assure you, there is no Nendo."

"Maria went off the grid," said Steve as leaned against the wall next to her. Natasha leaned on the other side. "Why is she so spooked?"

Kayura replied, "ghosts of one's past have a tendency to spook demons of the future."

Nat looked at Steve and then said to Kayura, "all work and no play makes Steve a very dull boy."

"Work is important," Kay answered said flatly.

"Destined, I tell you," she gleamed at Steve with a wink. She wrapped an arm around Kay's shoulder and started to walk her towards the bar, "let's have a girl talk, shall we?"

Steve decided to walk away from that before she got into her matchmaking routine. He slipped his hands in his pocket and decided to go check on Steve in the lab. He looked around the room, there didn't seem like anyone dangerous but Kayura was there, so he was suspicious of something. He walked up the stairs and tapped lightly on the door before entering, the new AI greeted, "hello, Mr. Rogers."

"Hi, Friday," he replied as he sat the two hunkered in front of a computer as he figured they would be. "So, how many people speak Japanese, I didn't realize it?"

"Everyone but Banner and Thor," Tony said as Steve sat down on the other side of Rowen. He seemed distracted by the running program which popped up with a failed notification. "See, even Friday fails. She's just as smart as Jarvis..."

Rowen looked at the encryption data on the screen, "what makes you think I know how to break this?"

"You wrote the program that I used to hack S.H.I.E.L.D's helicarrier."

Steve looked at the man, "you gave him that?"

"In my defense, he told me it was the CIA he was hacking, not S.H.I.E.L.D," Rowen grinned awkwardly. Steve wondered how that was any better. He looked over the console and typed in something, "sorry, this is gibberish."

Tony pouted and the blue haired man sighed then wrinkled his nose and started another prompt, "I'm going to run an search algorithm, seeing if it can pick up the languages used."

Steve was starting to think the man had no idea what happened last night, "your body guard..."

"Kay, she's a bit 'stabby' at times but she's genuinely a good guard," he smiled looking at Tony. "Except she hates you Tony. And Happy. "

Tony smiled, "I can't help that at your anniversary party, she was wearing that sweet little number that showed her legs so great. She's a fine piece of ass."

Steve scowled at the man, "how does Pepper find you charming at all?"

"Giving a woman a company kind of sweeps her off her feet," he answered with a bright grin.

Rowen shook his head, "see what I have to deal with?"

Steve was curious, "you two went to school together?"

"More like I went to school and he bribed his exam professors," Rowen answered to only have Tony glare at him, "what? Its true!"

"I can't help my bribes proved my genius."

Friday interrupted, "sir, Happy is trying to stop an intruder on the elevator."

Tony sighed, he was just starting to have a good time with the two men he considered his close friends. He stood up and the two followed as he looked out the lab window. Steve saw Rowen tap the escape key on the board. Steve wasn't good with computers, in fact most technology was beyond him without an extensive manual, but he knew that meant stopping whatever program was running.

Rowen smiled at him as he walked past, "lets hope Kay didn't start it, she can over react at times."

Steve looked back at the computer but walked out quickly. There seemed to be trouble stirring down stairs.


	12. Chapter 11

**Action sequence activated! XD LOL**

Chapter Eleven

Kayura looked at the woman as the bartender slid them some drinks. She wasn't one for alcohol but she gladly accepted the drink, it might numb the day if her feelings were correct. She couldn't shake the heebee jeebees for some reason but she wasn't going to let the super spy who vanished get to her. Natasha solemnly looked at her, "so why is she spooked?"

Kayura looked into the drink, "do you really think I'll answer you now that we're not around Steve?"

Natasha smiled, "it's worth a shot, I hold secrets a lot better."

"So Fury didn't tell you of her past."

She shook her head.

"I do suppose that I could use a confidant," Kayura said as she ran a finger over her cocktail, "her real name is Professor Mia Koji. Once upon a time, she was no more than a researcher but war makes innocent people into soldiers I suppose."

"What war?"

"One unseen to the eyes of the world."

"You're talking about the Snow Events."

Kayura smiled at her, "so you know about them in this day and age?"

"Whispers, like a lot of things from that era," she paused to look at her. "One of them took place in New York."

"That I don't know about. I was...away..."

"How old are you? You would have been younger than I would be..."

"You should not judge one's appearance on age," she said as she looked up at the lab. "After all, Steve would be ninety six?"

Natasha narrowed her eyes at her, "are you saying that you're like him?"

Kayura let the corners of her mouth curl, "I am not unlike him."

Natasha couldn't help but think that she was probably from WWII as well, but there was something wrong with the way she acted. She would ask her later about who she was but the way she worded things were almost poetic. Like every word out of her mouth was something crafted for song, not for general conversation. It was not unlike how Steve just seemed to still be a part of his time, the way he walked and talked and dressed. She couldn't place what decade on her. She looked back behind her as the stairwell door opened up. Kayura turned around with her just as Tony and the other two came out of the lab almost immediately.

Natasha saw Kayura's face grow stoic as her eyes laid on the man who burst through the door. He was young with wild wavy auburn hair and eyes as blue-green as the ocean. He was lean in his gray slacks and white polo and seemed very out of place as he stumbled in front of the business people. Kayura was on her feet with in seconds as Happy barged through. He tried to grab the man, but Nat felt it long before she realized what it was. The air was thick with a charge, and her ears felt heavy with pressure, and in a moment's notice anything and everything that was glass popped.

Natasha fell disoriented, like a bomb went off in her head, and her vision swam as she saw Kayura running for the man as if whatever went off didn't affect her. She felt Cap come to her side as she looked around, she had survived whatever it was, because every business person was down and out.

Kayura slid in front of the man as she saw Rowen running in her direction as Tony slid in next to the spy she had just been talking to. She looked at the man, he was bloody with a bruised face, "Suiko wa, nani ga anata ni okorimashita ka? (Torrent, what happened to you?)"

"Soto o miru (look out)," Rowen shouted as he pressed both of them to the ground as the charge built up quicker this time to be followed by a subsequent sonic boom.

Natasha was grabbed by Tony and Steve behind the bar as the decompression went off again. She shook her head as Tony said, "Friday, armor, Now!"

There was a garbled response from the computer and no response of the armor. Captain heard him curse as he looked around the bar, "Nat, I really need you.."

Nat seemed to shake off, "okay, but what went off like a bomb but wasn't a bomb?"

Tony kept trying Friday but cursed before answering, "Sonic EMP."

"Which direction," Steve asked and Tony pointed across to a building, he could see something over there but it was unclear. Steve decided to go for the three and ran to them as he realized Happy had brought his shield with him. He remembered complaining about this exact situation but the guard had insisted on no outside weapons. He felt the air charging just as he grabbed it but saw Rowen grab the Vibranium dagger from Kay and threw it in that direction before Steve could and the air went quiet.

He looked at the man with blue hair, "good arm..."

Rowen just smiled as he let the two up and Tony came out with Natasha, she ran to a nearby businessmen, "they're alive."

Kayura helped the young man sit up, "Anata wa koko de nani o shite iru no? (What are you doing here?)"

The young man seemed to be trying to shake himself free of the shock, "anoo Sage-san desu..."

The air was filled with a charge and bright light filled the room, "Watashi wa anata no shita o kiritotte iru hitsuyō ga arimasu. (I should have cut your tongue out.)"

A blade pierced through the young man's chest. Kayura yelled, "Cye!"

Cye held onto the blade with hands, he was still alive and completely aware but it was the man behind him that appeared drew their attention. He had pale blonde hair and eyes like amethysts. He was dressed in a fine green blazer over a lime polo shirt and skinny jeans. The blade he had in his hand was extremely long and thick and it looked like it wouldn't take much effort to cut the auburn haired man in half. Steve saw Kayura jump at the man. He grabbed her arm and flipped her to the ground, placing a foot right in the middle of her back with loud sickening crunch. Steve heard her yell and cough up blood.

Natasha had her thigh gun out in moment's notice, "let them go..."

Steve asked, "who are you?"

"Sage Date," he said with a clear American accent and a slight bow. Rowen grabbed a knife from the bar and threw it, Sage elegantly tilting his head and the blade slid through his hair, "now is that anyway to greet an old friend?"

"Last time I read the definition of friend, they don't crash parties and cleave their guests," said Tony as he saw Rowen's face harden into a dark scowl.

"Guests, but Cye here is intruder and Kayura is just a pawn, I don't consider either of them worthy to be guests," Sage snickered as he saw Steve moving into his blind spot. "If you try anything, I'll make sure to break her back..."

Steve paused as Widow said, "not like he cares for her anyway."

"Oh, but Ro does," he smiled at the blue haired man and pressing his foot down ever so slightly causing the woman to scream with another pop. He must have been putting pressure on her ribs.

"Fine, I'm assuming your causing all this drama because I wouldn't see you after our first discussion."

Sage smiled as he popped another and she coughed even more blood, "that's for the attitude."

Rowen lifted his hands as a truce, "fine, you want to talk then this is an extremely undiplomatic way to go about it."

"Diplomacy was thrown out the door years ago," Sage snarled as they felt the air started to charge again.

Tony asked, "is he..."

"A mutant, nah," Rowen said as he shifted his foot ever so slightly. He could see Cye's eyes dimming and his hands slipping on the blade, he had to make a move now or never and risk losing one or both of them. "Just a fallen god..."

Rowen charged the man, who took a step back out of surprise as the man bull dozed him. They tumbled with each other as Widow and Tony ran to the two who were set free. Steve ran for the two who had gotten to their feet and were exchanging blows.

Sage smiled at the two men as he raised a hand, "I was always better when the odds were stacked..."

The sword pulled free of the young man as Tony checked his pulse and came to the blonde's hands. He shifted his feet ever so slightly as he held the blade strong and tall next to him. Steve narrowed his eyes, the man was skilled with a sword. Rowen balled his fists, "I hope you can keep up, 'Merica."

Steve almost snorted because of the thin blue haired man but the way he stood was easily deceptive of a man trying to hide his skill. He realized that Tony may have not know as much about his friend as he hoped.

Tony saw the two exchanging blows with the bladed man as he checked Kayura's pulse, thready at best and he glanced at Widow, "Fridday!"

There was only a garbled response.

"Face it, your tech is fried," Widow hissed as she checked on the auburn haired man. He strangely didn't have as much blood around him as Kay did, "I thought it could handle EMP?"

Tony cursed, "it can but this isn't any normal EMP."

The young man named Cye cracked an eye open, "Mahou..."

Tony leaned in, "did he just say magic? I'll watch the kids you help the grandpas!"

Widow sometimes hated his nicknames but she grabbed her gun and pointed, only to find it jam. She cursed and heard the blonde say, "human weapons, sort of don't work on me."

Steve saw him distracted and slammed his shield into the man knocking him flat and a bright burn appeared on his arm, "well...well...vibranium! That's something no one knows!"

Rowen grabbed some knives and flung them but Sage nimbly deflected them. He jumped back and brandished the sword his eyes growing black. He grinned, "Rai Ko Zan!"

"No," Rowen hissed but the blade was brought down with a bolt of lightning.

Tony and Widow shielded the two from debris and the bright light and they looked up when the light cleared to see half of the floor sliding away. Steve grabbed Rowen's hand as he held onto his shield that he dug into the floor.

Rowen smirked, "take care of Kay, will ya?"

Steve could see Sage running up the side of the slipping floor, "don't you dare!"

Rowen let go and turned his feet on the floor despite its increases incline and ran at Sage. He raised his two hands forming a golden bow and arrow, "Shin Ku HA!"

"Rai Ko Zan," Sage roared.

Steve shielded his eyes as the air charged with a bright light, even brighter than previous times. He opened them to see Rowen falling onto the blade, Steve locked eyes with the blonde swordsman. A tear fell down the man's face as pulled the sword free and let him fall with the sliding chunk and vanished in bolt of lightning.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

She remembered the smell of the ocean and the way the air flowed through her long hair. She remembered their village on the ocean, it was always a nice place to be. She would run through the waves in the summer and play with the sea creatures. She could see the small village on the hill, they were small humble homes with thatched roofs. Sure it was the luxurious homes of the present, but it looked like the greatest mansion ever.

She ran her feet through the soft golden grass on the hill as she heard steps and familiar chiming behind her. She smiled to herself and said, "I was wondering how long it would take you, Anubis."

The man sat next to her, he had long auburn hair and blue eyes. He wore long white robes with a satchel on his obi. He smiled at her, "not long in circumstances like this, I suppose."

She noticed he wasn't carrying the staff, "Ancient One?"

The old man sat next to her, he was dressed similarly to the other. His feet were wrapped in bandages and he wore a straw hat that obscured his face. She had never seen it she supposed, even as a child, but it never crossed her mind that she needed to see it. In his hand though was the golden staff that had several rings of gold at the top that made such a beautiful magical chime, however, it never gave her much solace. In fact it was only there when she needed it the most. She could see his smirk in the shadow of his hat, "I suppose history does repeat itself, Kay."

She frowned, "is that what this is?"

"In someways history doesn't change very much even with intervention, the changes that Suzunagi might have been for naught," he paused as he rummaged in his pouch. "So, are you ready to come along?"

"I don't think so," she said as she brought her knees up to her chest. She couldn't leave the humans now, not that she was attached to them or anything but part of her knew she couldn't go. Death was always an easy way out if she had the choice to live.

"I told him you wouldn't," Anubis said taking her hand. "You aren't like us."

"No," she paused, "I'm a failure, at both being the Ogre and an Ancient. I can't possibly do both."

"A failure you are not, we all have trials and tribulations, child," the Ancient One said spinning the staff in his fingers ever so slightly. "Talpa and the armors was mine, being tainted by the darkness was Anubis, and perhaps these are yours."

She leaned over on her knees, "the world is changing."

"As it does," the Ancient One answered. "But if you go back, how will you help change it my dear Ogre?"

She looked at him, "I...I don't know."

"Let us show you something," Anubis said taking her hand and standing her up. He pointed behind them, and she could see New York standing tall. It didn't seem like the city she knew, there was something wrong, it looked old and decayed. She stepped forward and she could see several gates to the nether realm open and castle sitting in the clouds. "If you let this happen, then Earth won't stand a chance against in real enemy in years to come."

"Real enemy," she paused as the Ancient One came to her other side and tapped his staff against the ground. Everything was wiped away and she could see stars and space go on forever around her. She could could here a great laughter and felt a darkness that surpassed anything she had ever felt before. She shivered, "please don't show it to me."

The Ancient One tapped his staff and they returned to the field of the village, "that is the destiny of the hero you have befriended."

"Steve," she asked.

Anubis chuckled at the small blush on her cheeks, "yes, well, it is your destiny to make sure that Earth remains for him to protect."

"But how do I do that," she raged, "I don't have an armor and the staff has a mind of its own."

Anubis looked to the Ancient One who said, "that won't be for long."

"Please, can you tell me what's going on?"

The two shook their heads and Anubis came over to kiss her forehead like the fatherly person he was to her, "you must wake up now before you remain in the land of the dead."


	14. Chapter 13

**The mystery deepens why Sage killed Rowen. Steve has stumbled in on long drawn out conflict that has been in the making.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter Thirteen

Steve sat quietly next to Tony as he madly worked on tablet that he managed to pick up of local tech store being as that most of his own stuff was fried completely. Mercy Hospital was quiet now. There was no way that S.H.I.E.L.D could have handled so many victims. Steve leaned over on his knees, he was exhausted and as far as he knew Fury had other worries. While their little skirmish was taking place, a plane went down in the ocean just off the coast, and there was another explosion in China Town which Wanda and Vision were sent to investigate .

"Steve Rogers?"

He looked to see a demure woman standing before them, Tony scowled at him for a moment but went back to work as he asked, "do I know you Miss?"

She shook her head, she wasn't very tall but she was thin. Her hair was a deep satin gray, and deep blue eyes. She was young, maybe early thirties, and wore a dark gray blue suit that was pin striped with dark blue heels. There was a strange silver pin on her tie in the shape of shark. She shook her head, reached in her jacket and handed him a card, "My name is Runa Jones."

Steve looked at it, "yes, you're that reporter from the Daily Bugle that's always so pushy..."

Tony snorted with a smirk that turned back to being solemn as she said, "yes...I am."

"No offense Miss," Steve said as he handed back the card, "there is no story in this for you right now."

"No, I was friends with Rowen Hashiba," she said quietly. She reached in her bag and pulled out what looked something wrapped in animal hide, she handed it to Steve and looked at Tony, "he asked me to give this to you, if anything should happen to him. He was certain you would understand it."

Steve handed it to Tony who raised an eyebrow but she was already leaving he stood up as he held it, "wait! You know something..."

She shook her head quickly and they both got to go after her, but they turned the corner and she was gone. Tony grunted angrily and looked at the thing in his hand as Steve asked, "What is it?"

Tony shook his head, he had been strangely been quiet since the incident which he didn't blame him but it worried Steve. The man was notorious for one liners, snarky replies, and puns but seemed very disillusioned by the whole thing. He opened it and found simple rice parchment book with ink calligraphy on front, "the legend of the five armors."

Steve raised an eyebrow, "armors?"

Tony frowned, "this is old kanji, like Meiji Era Japan."

"Why would Rowen give this to you," he asked.

"I have to crack this file that he paused for whatever reason," he snarled handing him the book. "God damn, Ro, what were are you trying to tell me. God damn it, none of this makes sense...Fury is on a wild goose chase and Widow went god knows where. Are you going to run off too."

"No, I think my place is here."

"You bet your ass it is," Tony said grabbing a chair from the lobby as a doctor came down the hall.

Steve saw they had new scrubs on and was hoping both were alright as he addressed them, "Mr. Rogers, Mr. Stark?"

Tony didn't look up though and Steve asked, "how are they?"

"Well, most of your guests are fine, a mild case of vertigo and memory loss," he paused as he seemed to take a break to think. "The other two are the strangest miracles, if I hadn't been the surgeon, I would have been reluctant to believe..."

"Are they alright..."

"The young man is just fine," he paused, "that blade he was pierced with missed all of his organs. He was extremely dehydrated, and there were bruises on his wrists and ankles like he had been tied up..."

Tony looked and raised an eyebrow, "...who is he?"

"No, identification could be found on him but there was a small lacquer box," the doctor paused, "it's with his possessions if you want to take a look..."

"And Kay," asked Steve.

"Is that her name? The young woman must have had a beam fall on her but she's a fighter if I've ever seen one. Whatever harmed her ruptured a previous injury she must have had a few days ago," the doctor said. "The rupture vessel in her brain was an easy fix compared to the massive internal hemorrhaging she had in her abdomen. She was touch and go several times, and I'm still not sure if she'll make it through the night, but if she does she'll live. You can go see her, she's in the ICU. Normally its just family, but you are the ones who brought her in."

Steve watched the doctor go and looked at Tony, "would you like to come?"

"No, I need to crack this file, go see if your girlfriend is okay."

Steve rolled his eyes but didn't say anything because he had feeling that Tony was just being his normal cranky self. He held onto the book as he came to the ICU, and saw Natasha by the door, "Nat, where did you go?"

"I needed to do some digging on pretty boy," she said crossing her arms and holding up her phone. It was the young man who had survived having a sword skewer him, "his name is Cye Mauri, he's a well known world champion surfer."

Steve frowned, "how is that helpful?"

"That man who attacked was well known Kendo champion Sage Date," she said flipping the image to a picture of the blonde attacker. "They both went to school with Rowen Hashiba."

He looked at the photo, "so this was some old school rivalry? That doesn't make any sense."

"No, but it makes sense that they knew each other but still nothing on Kay," she sighed heavily. "But there was something interesting that was sort of accidental," she paused to flip to another photo of a young auburn woman. He looked at it, and she smiled, "look familiar?"

"Professor Mia Koji, Shincha University," he read. "That's...no...she's would like fifty now?"

"Exactly," she paused, "she was the legal guardian of all of three of them in the early nineties. There were three more as well."

He flipped through, "Ryo Sonada..."

"Nothing on him."

He flipped again to see a young boy with brown hair and blue eyes, "Yuli Yamano..."

"He vanished after graduating high school."

Steve nodded and flipped to the last photo, "Kento Lei Faun."

"Head of Tokyo Police," she paused, "he's also the co-husband to Hoshi Nakano, who was also married to Rowen Hashiba."

"Co-husband," he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, you and your backwards old ways, funny how she has two men and you can't find one girl," she laughed.

"Moving on," he insisted as he held up the book that the reporter had left, "apparently, this belonged to Mr. Hashiba?"

She looked it over, it looked ancient, "so many weird coincidences...but here's the weirdest thing...Hoshi Nakano was soldier in the middle east during he first gulf war...which was around that same time of the original code names. Most of them are dead now but I have this itch that she might be involved...she was on the plane crash Fury ran off to."

Steve frowned as she handed the book back to him, "so what do you think we should do now..."

"I have one more itch to check out," she paused as she put her phone in her pocket. There were some nurses running past, "keep our leads alive okay?"

Steve nodded reluctantly and followed after the nurses to find out where they wer going in such a hurry. He heard one of the women say, "sir, you are in no condition to be on your feet!"

Steve saw the young back away from them, "no, I need to see her its important!"

"Please, she needs rest herself," said the head nurse, "you can see her when you are better yourself!"

Steve pushed past the nurses and saw blood on the side of his hospital clothes. He was clutching a small lacquered box in his hands with a Kanji on it, he feel like he had seen it before, but he was definitely not well versed in reading Japanese when he could barely speak it. The young man saw him and shook his head, "no, this has to go to her."

The nurses looked at him as Steve said, "can't you see you're stressing him out more than if you would just let him go see the poor girl?"

They seemed to quietly agree, as Steve said, "perhaps, you should get dressed first and I'll take you to see her."

"Thank you," he said briefly, he could see the distrust in his eyes.

Steve asked the nurse to bring his clothes and the man changed in the nearest empty hospital room. He was doing pretty good for a man who had a giant sword through his abdomen. He wondered if he would answer anything but he didn't want to frighten away his only potential lead, he held out a hand, "Steve Rogers."

The young man smiled and shook it, "Cye Mauri. Thank you, I don't like hospitals and I know Kay won't."

"You know her then," Steve asked as he walked with him towards the ICU.

"You could say we're old friends."

"So was the man who put a sword through your belly."

"Yes, well, if he really wanted to kill me, he wouldn't have missed," he paused, "he wasn't after me, he was after Ro."

"Why was he after him?"

Cye shook his head.

Steve didn't push, "they say she possibly won't make it."

"Well, they are wrong," Cye smiled as they came to the glass window room. His face turned hard as he placed a hand against the glass, Steve didn't recognize Kay with all the tubes and machines hooked up to her. They even cut her hair, he assumed to get at the bleeding in her head.

The nurse looked at them disapprovingly, "don't make any noise, she needs to rest."

Steve nodded, "we'll do our best ma'am."

She rolled her eyes and let them in. Cye almost ran over to her and said, "oh, Kay, I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner."

Steve quietly leaned against the wall, he must have thought of her something special from the way he looked at her. He was right not to go chasing after her like Natasha wanted him too. Not that he felt that way for girl he had barely known for a day, but he was definitely intrigued by her. Cye took out the lacquered box and he saw it glow before it opened. There was a glass ball inside the color of blood, and the same Kanji in the middle. He took it out and placed it in her hand and then leaned over her.

Steve looked away, definitely not interested in seeing a kiss. No more even barely entertaining any ideas that Natasha gave him anymore. Cye sat up and looked at the man glancing away, smiling to himself, 'no, that wasn't a kiss, Mr. Rogers...you'll find out what it was though.'

Cye stood up, "look, I hate to do this to you, but I have to disappear."

Steve frowned, "not before you give me some answers."

"Honestly, I can't," he paused with a gulp. "I know a little bit more than you but only as much as Kay does, and she can give them to you when she wakes up. I have to make sure someone else okay."

"One of your other friends?"

He nodded, "yes. Kento is great danger too. Tell, Kay when she wakes up that the gift I gave her is the only way."

Steve raised an eyebrow, "who are you all?"

"Me? I'm the ronin Suiko," he answered before he walked over to the window. He slid it open and Steve ran to grab him before he jumped out. He looked out the window but he was gone. The young man was faster than he was and that bothered him.

He closed the window and looked back at the woman. She looked so small in the bed hooked up to the monitors. He sat down next to her and opened the book, maybe something would jump out at him if he read through it. He flipped and saw drawings in the back of real old armors. Things that samurai would wear, bulk but elegant with fearsome looking faces. He looked over at her and closed the book as he leaned his head back. If there was going to be a long battle, he was going to make sure he got what little sleep he could.


	15. Chapter 14

**Kayura does have answers, but will Stark find her helpful or frustrating? Can Steve help her?**

Chapter Fourteen

Kay felt the sunshine on her eyelids as she felt her sleep break. There was the sound of incessant beeping that made her fully awaken as she rolled her head to the side. She could feel the pipe down her throat and the cold metal in both of her arms, she hated hospitals, all the technology they used was so harsh against her skin and insides. She felt it before she even opened her eyes again, the power in her hands was not mistaken. She reopened her eyes to look around the room as she clutched the orb tight and she saw the golden god sitting next to her. He had the 'Legend of the Five Armors' in his hands.

She decided that she needed to be free of the tube in her throat, and reached up with her free hand to pull it free. It wouldn't be the first time but it always felt like ripping out her insides. Her mouth was dry as she took a deep breath of air.

"You probably shouldn't do that."

She looked at the man and smiled, "I probably shouldn't do a lot of things."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like a well trained warrior nearly squashed me with his foot," she paused as she sat up, there was tube in her stomach too. She hated draining tubes, and she pulled it free, seeing the incision close in seconds. Steve looked away, she could see his cheeks were red, "modesty is a very becoming trait."

"How exactly are you doing that now," he asked.

"You mean the bump from the other night," she mumbled. She held up the tiny ball of glass, "I'm assuming Cye left this with me."

"Yes. He said it was the only way."

"Hm, then he left me more of curse than a gift," she paused with a frown. "Would you be a dear and find me some clothes?"

He smirked as he noticed Widow had left a bag on next to the door as he opened it. It was still early in the morning, and the doctors hadn't made their rounds. He assumed Nat knew her situation and he handed her the bag. He stepped out of the room to let her get dressed and she came out almost immediately. She rubbed the back of her head where it was shaved, but for the most part it was cut in almost two inch lengths all around her head. She definitely didn't look the woman he met a few days ago in the skin tight jeans and tank top.

She tugged on the outfit, "can your colleague be anymore annoying?"

"She can be," he paused, "let's go before the docs notice."

She nodded and followed him, she saw a hoodie on a chair and yanked it on. She hated feeling exposed to the elements, she could see Tony Stark and she frowned as he looked up from the tablet he had been furiously working on. Steve asked, "is Happy on his feet?"

Tony frowned at the girl, "I have questions..."

"And I'll answer them as soon as we get..."

They could see the nurses coming down the hall and Tony nodded, "got it, operation, get the hell out of dodge so docs don't stick needles in miracle girl."

She followed the two men as they ran into the garage, and Tony saw the red car pull around. They quickly jumped in and Tony asked as he saw the nurse in the rear view mirror, "thanks Happy."

"No problem boss, eh, its cupcake."

Kay narrowed her eyes, "do you need me to show how to say my name properly again because last time, you met concrete."

He rolled and said, "you got the slip on me."

"All is far in love and war," she responded with a smirk.

"Then tell me what this war is that left one of my friend and your boss dead," Tony interrupted.

She shook her head, "I don't really know..."

"You have answers and you better start talk..."

Steve interrupted Tony, "please, we can't help you if don't let us know what's going on and know what Cye gave you was."

She held up the orb in her hand Tony looked at, "cruelty? What in the blazes is that?"

Kayura took a deep breath as if she trying to find a right way to speak about her past, "Cye brought me the one thing that would heal me if I was ever injured beyond human medical science. I'm sure he would never bring this to me, unless there was a great danger."

"Well, looks like it was too late," Tony snarled, "you missed helping Rowen, some body guard."

She shook her head, "I was never there to be a body guard and yes, I did mess up. I was there to steal what Maria took off of Rowen's mainframe."

Steve paused to look at Tony who frowned, "so that's why he stopped the decryption program! But why would Maria take files off of his computer?

"I don't know what she took but she did it when Ultron broke into his lab to steal the vibranium he had," she paused as Tony gave her another disgruntled look. "I was to steal it back but Sage..."

Steve remembered what Widow showed him, "who is Maria to you?"

She lowered her head, "Maria Hill is Professor Mia Koji of Shincha University. She was like a mom to them in the early days and she saved my life, but things got complicated, and she had to leave so she could save her life and Yuli's."

"The little boy."

Tony paused, Natasha had sent him the same info, "who is that little boy?"

"I don't know who he is now, but when I last saw him, he was a causality of war," she paused as she looked at the orb in her hands. Steve could see despair in her face. It was the first real emotion that he had seen in her eyes. "He could not remember anything before our last battle in Tokyo."

"The Snow Events," Tony said, "dad talked about them occasionally, said they interfered with his work Genichirou..."

"Rowen's dad," she paused, "he was a bit of a nut if I do say so myself."

"Nothing you said just now made any sense to either of us, just to let you know," Tony added.

She rubbed her brow, "I should start at the beginning then, that's where all good stories start...My name is Kayura...just Kayura...I was born before there were sir names." She paused to look at Steve and then back to the orb in her hand, "it's hard to believe but please do but it was almost a millennium ago, a great demon named Talpa came to our land in Japan. He was from a dimension attached to Earth's, much like Asgard, but he came with malicious intent, much like Loki, he came to conquer and dominate. He destroyed my whole clan, and to this day I don't know why he saved me, but he did. My clan leader took it upon himself to exact revenge, and slayed the demon, but it was the armor that Talpa wore that was the source of his power. The Ancient One split the armor into nine pieces since it couldn't be destroyed and spread them among the clans who were affected by Talpa's wrath in hopes that they would keep his return at bay. I spent a couple of hundred years frozen in the darkness of the Nether Realm, when I was awakened by my brothers. Somewhere, in that time, several of those families had fallen into the darkness of the responsibility they were given and called themselves warlords. I was raised by them, but time moves slowly there and I aged slow, it was about three hundred years ago though that the fourth war lord appeared. His name was Anubis and despite having a dark heart, I felt he was descendant of the clan I was from and I could potentially escape but Talpa saw to that and he had mind taken over by a dark spirit he called Badiman. I lost three hundred years of my life before I was restored by the ronins."

"Cye called himself that before he took off last night," Steve added.

"Cye was the one of the remaining five descendants who hadn't turned into the darkness," she paused, "him, Kento, Rowen, Sage, and Ryo fought against the return of the demon Talpa, and won, not once but twice. These events, were called Snow Events in the human realm. I thought it was all done, we were free, but my return to the nether realm only confirmed my suspicions of a longer battle. While I was gone there were several more battles I suppose..."

Tony said, "New York, LA, and Africa..."

She interrupted, "I found an old secret with my new time in the Nether Realm, an ancient one, even the older than I. The Owari. It had been a story but I knew it needed to have its owner with the approach of another danger. So, I returned it and there were two more great battles but they left me an the warlords stranded on Earth. So I've spent the last twenty years, without any powers, wandering and figuring out what it means to be human."

Both Steve and Tony were quiet for a moment but it was Tony that asked, "so that's part of the demon?"

"Yes, when talpa was defeated the second time, Anubis made a sacrifice to save me and I was left as the owner of the armor of cruelty, the Warlord of all things cruel and dastardly, the Ogre. I have a question before either of ask me anymore, who gave you that book?"

"A reporter from the Daily Bugel, Runa Jones," said Steve as he handed it to her.

She looked it over, "if you have any questions on who the ronins were before...before they fell apart, you must read this."

Tony scrunched his nose, "so, the powers that Rowen and his friend had...were because of these armors."

She nodded.

"He never mentioned anything of the sort to me," he said.

"You met him after they fell apart, after he married Hoshi, he wanted nothing to do with the armors despite being married to the woman who is technically the queen of them."

"Wait, Hoshi is your queen?"

"More or less, that is the role she has. She's my real boss, not Rowen."

"So," Steve paused as he thought, "two questions, first, about the Nendo..."

"It was after the Vibranium shield, I suppose," she paused, "there was a reason Rowen wanted the vibranium. It was the only metal, he had found that had an affect on the ones that kept leaking through but they also crave it. It's like salt for animals, in small doses, it's not harmful but in larger quantities its poisonous. I think Hoshi realized one would sooner or later come after you. It also was a way for her to confirm that Maria was really Mia who stole the files."

"So why did Maria go off grid," he asked next.

"She must still be protecting Yuli is my only explanation. Ryo sort of lost it a few years ago and vowed to kill everyone. I guess Sage is working with him but its been twenty years, so I'm unsure why he would, I thought he might have just had a mental break down. All of them had their moments, but Ryo lost the most."

Happy stopped in front of Steve's place and Tony said, "you crash here with him until I can crack this. Don't you dare try to disappear."

She looked at him with sad eyes, "honestly, I don't know what to do. It would be best for me stick around."

Steve climbed out of the car with her and said, "sorry, about him."

She shook her head, "Rowen always said he was a bit of softy for his friends."

"That's definitely true," he paused as he looked at the woman. She never looked so small but there was something strange about her now, she scarred him. She smiled with dark eyes as he motioned for her to head into the brownstone.


	16. Chapter 15

**Going to try a 'cute' chapter. XD LOL**

Chapter Fifteen

Kay watched the setting sun from the top of the building, she was trying to compose her thoughts from the last couple of days as she rolled the armor of cruelty between her fingers. It felt cool in her hands and she could feel its consciousness rising behind her own. Nothing as dominant as Badiman, but something sentient that knew it had returned to its own. Only Raleigh could have remade the armors, but why would she? Then she remember that the Raleigh had no control over the ability, it was all instinctual on behalf the armors. Cye risked his life giving it to her, and Sage didn't try to kill for it, but killed Rowen instead. It seemed so illogical.

She tucked her knees up and laid her head against them, running a free hand through her hair. There was a bald spot in the back where they had stitched her up, but at least she wasn't completely bald. The loss of her hair though made her feel like her old identity was almost gone now. Not that she had one really. If she she put things chronologically, she was a kid, then a demon, then a temporary empress, then human. Who was she outside of being a product of events? Nothing, that's why this armor was perfect for her, it could mold her into someone just like Anubis was.

Already, her wounds were almost healed, she was still sore and felt like she had been squashed by an elephant, but it was the other things that scarred her. Her muscles felt like they were filled with energy, and every fiber of itched to fight. She burned to run across the tops of buildings, find a super villain to fight, to don the sub armor... It was an addiction indeed.

"Kay," said male voice and she looked over at the man. He was holding a tray with hot food and she felt her stomach growl ever so slightly. Sometimes, she didn't realize for a whole week she hadn't eaten. It had only been two days, but the addition of the armor, made her famished.

He sat down next to her, "it's not much."

She looked down at the fried potatoes, steak and green beans. Such an American meal. She smiled as he handed her a plate, "its wonderful, thank you, Steve."

"I feel like I may have been real rude to you in the beginning."

She smirked as she bit into hot potato, she gulped and said, "no, no. I get it. I may have been harsh myself. I am bit paranoid myself...this world is a lot harder than the hell I grew up in."

He looked at her, and she realized how gorgeous his eyes really were, "that's how I feel at times but sixty is a lot different than a millennium."

She looked at him, "I only know of what I've read, but I can say that the war you were in must have been in hell too."

He didn't respond to what she said but he changed the subject, "you healed really fast."

"The armor does that sort of stuff when it feels like its host is useless."

"You say host."

"Part of Talpa's consciousness survives in each armor, so they have an appetite that only we can provide," she said holding it up. The sun caught it and it glimmered. "The ancient one blessed each piece to have a virtue. Mine is the only one that has the blessing of being cruel."

"And the others?"

"Ryo was benevolence, ironically. Sage is grace which seems to suit him. Rowen was wisdom," she laughed as cut a piece of steak. "Cye is trust, and he is the only one I will trust. Kento is Justice. Kale is Obedience, he has always followed. Sekh is Piety, he is strangely religious despite everything and there is none more Serene than Dais. That man could have a full blown war going on around him and he would sit and read a poem."

He smirked, "so these war lords are your friends?"

"Friends? No," she said sadly. "I call them my brothers because for the longest time they were the only ones who understood my pain of being ripped out the human realm but I suppose Wanda was right, we have a lot in common."

"You talked to Wanda?"

"She sort of saw my past when we were fighting the Nendo," she paused to finish her green beans. "She's a frightening creature."

"Did she show you anything of your own?"

She looked at him with dark eyes and put down the plate, she held up the orb, "my future with this thing I suppose. Not one I would choose, but a duty none the less."

"Duty is something I can get behind," he said to her. "Tony sent me a translated copy of the book..."

"Did you find it an interesting?"

"It's odd."

"Indeed."

"It's written about the past as if it were the future...did those events happen?"

"The person who wrote it was like Wanda," she paused, "he thought he was writing a play about the past, but it was really the future..."

"Strange world you live in."

"It's better than aliens," she said with a shake of her head, "or sentient robots."

"Well, I had to save you twice," he teased and she shot him a look.

"I wouldn't call either of those times 'saving'," she snarled. "I think Wanda saved me the first time and technically Cye did the second."

He rolled his eyes, "fine, credit where credit is due."

The corners of her mouth turned up into a real smile. She looked at him, turned on her knees, and bowed low, "domo, Rogers-san."

"I thought we got past that," he laughed as she sat up. "I hope Cye won't be too upset that you're staying here?"

"Why would Suiko care?"

"Well, he kind of gave you a kiss last night," he said rubbing the back of his head.

She frowned as she touched her lips, "no, he didn't..."

"I saw him lean over you..."

She blushed scarlett and shook her head, "no, he's married. He was activating the virtue..."

"If that's what you want to call it."

She moved quicker than he had ever seen before so she was right in front him, he looked into her dark blue eyes as she placed a hand on his shoulder and pressed her forehead to his. Her lips and face so close to his, her breath hot on his skin, but then he felt a warmth on his forehead and she pulled back. The orb in her hand glowed a bright red and he saw her eyes glowing the same color as the symbol for cruelty appeared in her forehead. She smiled darkly, like something else had taken her over, and he reached out closed her hand and her eyes returned to normal. She placed the orb in her pocket, "do you see it, now?"

Steve turned his eyes towards the city, there was a gigantic gate that stood above the city. It looked sort of the Shinto gates he had seen occasionally in pictures but this was monstrous with actual doors. On the doors there was a crest and he asked, "what is that?"

"Rowen's tombstone," she paused, "I didn't tell Stark something. Someone wants us dead."

"Who?"

"I don't know, we have lots of enemies."

He rubbed his eye as the evening sky set in and the gate was gone, "where did it go?"

"You are human," she said with an uppity attitude. "You can't see what I see."

"Last I checked, you were human too."

He saw her smile and she started laughing as she stood up. She grabbed the plates, "since you been so nice and wonderful, I'm going to do the dishes."

He followed after her, "well, gee, I think that's the least you could do."

"Don't complain," she laughed as they walked through the roof access. She smiled to herself, perhaps, she wouldn't lose herself to the armor again.


	17. Chapter 16

**Black Widow is on the case! Is Runa really the mild mannered nosey reporter or is she much more?**

 **(Sorry for the old school narration, I find it funny. )**

 **Enjoy1**

Chapter Sixteen

Runa quietly opened her door with a jangle of keys and slipped in. That's all she had to do and she would be left out of their lives for good now. She still didn't remember the early days too well, except Shikaisen's laughter haunted her every night in her dreams, but her memories of being Shark were still there and the fear of those battles still rushed through her. She didn't know how she was able to be handle being Shark, but then she remembered the horrible experiments that Hare had put her through.

Tahiti.

She never wanted to go on vacation again.

"More than a reporter aren't you?"

Runa nearly jumped as she looked at the red haired woman but she had learned to control her outward expressions, "Black Widow! I've been wanting to do an interview with you for ages, come to give me an inside scoop on Ultron for Jonah?"

She shook her head as she crossed her knee over the other.

Runa hated the silent treatment that all those who seemed to lurk in the shadows would give, "care to have a drink with me? Running around town chasing shadows is pretty exhausting."

"How many shadows do you chase?"

"Not as many as you might think."

"You're Shark."

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," she said going into her kitchen and setting her purse down. She reached in the cupboard and pulled out a bottle of vermouth, "what difference does it make?"

"I need to know about the originals."

Runa raised an eyebrow as she reached for two glasses, "I can tell you what I've found out."

"I really do believe you know more than that."

"What proof do you have then," she said looking at the woman.

"I was wondering how you knew Rowen Hashiba," Natasha said, "at first I thought it was odd when I saw you getting out of the car to come in, you holding that book you gave Steve and Tony, but then I realized that pin you always wear. Its vibranium."

Runa touched it softly, "Rowen always was more like Stark than people tended to believe. He thought it was a funny New Years gift."

"So..."

"...I've been scrubbed for twenty years now, Widow, I don't know how you even figured it out. I don't care to live in my past," she paused as she walked into her living room and sat across from the spy. "I am assuming you know the tales then..."

"I've learned not to trust ghost stories considering the ones told about me."

"Good, I'm glad you learned that early," she said handing her the drink. Runa sipped her drink, "trust me, Widow, you don't' want to go down this path..."

"Too late considering there was a bit of show last night."

"That's what happens when there's a coup brewing."

Widow raised a brow but remained quiet.

"I wonder how many people think that Shark was Hydra," she laughed with a smirk. "In the early nineties there were many experiments that were being tested on young soldiers who were thought dead, street kids, homeless...etc. Perhaps some of it was Hydra inspired but I was part of the berserker program."

"I don't know of it."

"And I hope you won't ever know details other than there was only a few of us who lived through it."

Widow asked, "I know that there were three who were known for their remarkable abilities."

"Abilities is that what they call making peaceful people into monsters?"

"Then?"

"It's not like we're like you or anything, at least when it was a matter of human war," Runa paused, "but Hoshi and Raleigh were stationed in the middle east during the first gulf war when their camp was attacked by insurgents."

"Hoshi is Rowen's wife, right?"

"I'm sure you've met her, looks pretty good for a woman who had thirty eight percent of body burned and a bullet lodged in her spine," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Have you met Misses Raleigh Mauri yet?"

Widow shook her head.

"Stay away from that one, her and Hoshi had a bit of falling out but they were Kitten and Wolf."

"As in the 'beware, beware, the kitten with claws for the wolf has teeth'," she asked.

"Ha, that's still said?"

"They say it means beware the one who doesn't look like they're dangerous."

Runa nodded, "you should listen and walk away then, this is a lot more dangerous than it appears. Tell them all to forget what has happened and move on, for it will only cause you pain."

"Sounds foreboding."

"I bet you don't listen to foreboding but I will tell you what you should know before you go further..."

Widow looked at the woman who seemed more nervous with every word said, "are you alright?"

"Me, oh, I'm fine," she smiled as she realized Widow was smart enough not to drink the vermouth. She smirked, "you're as good as I would have hoped."

Widow looked down at the drink, "yeah, I never trust drinks with confidants."

"Wiser than I was back then," she said as Widow noticed the sweat on her brow. "You know, he was right, I didn't even notice the poison...Sekh is far more skilled than any …."

"Tell me what I need to know."

"Things are not as they seem, the torch is passing, as power like theirs does," Runa coughed and blood caught the corner of her mouth. She held her stomach, "even my insides don't feel anything..."

"Why would you do this?"

Runa smiled painfully, "I won't be controlled again. I was controlled by them for years after the demon killed me, I can't stand his laughter that haunts me anymore... don't let them do to you what they did to me."

Widow watched her fall from her chair to her knees and knelt down in front of her, "where is the boy?"

"Hm? You saw it didn't you? I'm sure Rowen showed off his golden bow and arrow before he fell," she said as she coughed blood. "There's not many ways to fight with a bow, but some people learn in Tahiti."

"Tahiti?"

"Terrible place to go on vacation, because its not real," she said as she twitched and fell into Widow's arms. "Trust the warlords Widow, they hide in the shadows just like you..."

Widow didn't say anything as a long breath was let out of her. What was so terrible that she would commit suicide over it. She had so many more questions now, it seemed like the deeper she went the more questions she had. At least her suspicion of Hoshi being Kitten was correct but it seemed so odd she was so scarred that she would drink a bottle of poison. She pulled the pin off and looked it over on the back there was a symbol, it looked like a crest of sorts.

She heard a hiss and she looked up to see red crobra like creature slithering out of the dark. She reached for gun but the beast slapped its tail across her into the couch.

"Cho Ryo Ha!"

Widow winced as she looked up at the auburn haired man from the hospital, he grinned, "well, I was looking for another spider and I got a pretty one instead, how about that? Too bad I missed the bite Shark had."

He helped her up, and she saw the trident like weapon in his hand as it vanished, "thanks I guess."

"None necessary," he smiled as he reached in his jacket and pulled out the silver dagger that Kay had been using. "You should hold onto this, guns only make the Nendo mad."

"Thanks, I'll give it back to Kay..."

He shook his head, "she'll be fine if you have it."

She looked over the pin again and he saw the crest, she saw his expression twist, "what does this mean?"

He rubbed his head, "well, it's a long story."

she crossed her arms, "I have time."

"Well, now, let's go before more Nendo come. There are many in this city right now and not many prepared to fight them."

She motioned for him to walk ahead.

He stuck his hands in his pocket and smiled, "she warned you, you know. This won't be a pleasant trip in the Nether Land."

She wasn't expecting it would be.


	18. Chapter 17

**Magic has severe consequences at times.**

Chapter Seventeen

Wanda watched as the base doctors wheeled in the small woman on a gurney. She had long silver hair and skin as pale as snow, she had never seen anyone look like death but that's how she felt she looked. Death incarnate. Whether or not that was her natural state, it was hard to tell but Vision seemed wary as well.

Vision laid his hand on her shoulder, "she makes you uneasy."

"All of this makes me uneasy, Vision," she paused as she watched Rhodes and Sam talking with Fury. She didn't know what she had to say, but the explosion in Chinatown almost seemed trivial in comparison to Stark Tower or the downed plane with one survivor. "I saw her in Kay's memories..."

"You never told me what you saw?"

"Terrbile things," she replied quietly, "Kayura is old like Thor but young in heart like Steve in some ways. She's seen this world change, and seen demons worse than Utron and Loki."

"And she is?"

"A God perhaps?"

"I don't believe in Gods."

"I use the term loosely," she replied to him and he remained quiet. He was definitely quiet most of the time and only said something when he thought it useful or snarky. She liked when he was snarky, his quiet side worried her.

Fury dismissed the two men and saw her watching, he was a tall bald man with a an eyepatch covering what looked like a scratched out eye. He wore all black head to toe, including a trench coat. He walked over, "so, what about Chinatown?"

She quietly reached into her pocket and pulled out tiny little metal dragon. It held an orb in its hands, "I think whoever set the place on fire was looking for this. The restaurant owner was clutching this is in his charred hands."

Fury looked it over, "is this vibranium?"

Vision nodded.

Fury asked, "who was he?"

"His name was Chin Lei Faun," she paused, "there were no survivors, sadly it was family there with him. I found out that he's related the Tokyo Chief of Police, Kento Lei Faun."

Fury frowned glancing at the woman who was being wrapped up with thermal blankets, "that would be her husband, he wasn't there?"

"No."

"Someone was trying to call him out here," he said holding up the small dragon. He turned over the dragon and saw that there was a crest on the bottom. He handed to her, "do you know where Widow and Cap are?"

"No," she said shaking her head. "I last heard from them at Mercy hospital."

"Get them to check in with me asap," he ordered with a stern look. "Keep an eye her as well, will you?"

"Who is she?"

"A friend," he replied glancing over to the small woman who was bundled up now. "She is dangerous and has some information that might be helpful."

Wanda watched him walk off and Vision caught her eyes, "you aren't thinking of..."

"I don't see why not," she paused, "not like Fury knows what I saw with Kay."

"I know it freaked you out and you should have told him."

"Kay's world need's to stay secret from what I saw," she said as she walked over to the young woman. "To expose any of them to the world we live in would cause chaos, you see how much attention Thor gets, both bad and good."

He nodded.

She leaned over her, there was dark orb around her neck and she could feel a dark energy from it. She looked at Vision, "this might hurt."

"I advise against this once again."

She shook her head, "I know, and warning heeded..."

Wanda looked around once more before reaching over to the small woman with a hand glowing in red energy. She pushed her diagonal bangs out of the way but nothing happened. She looked around and saw Vision still scowling, "oh, come on, it didn't even work..."

"Are you sure about that, Oracle?"

Wanda whirled around and saw woman standing behind her, she looked almost exactly like the woman who laid in the bed but taller and thinner and with eyes as black as night. She wore an outfit that looked like something a samurai would ware with a crest on the chest of unknown origin.

Wanda looked down at the sleeping woman and then back to the other one, "who are you?"

"My name is Seiza," she said sitting down in a chair. "I guess I would be the guardian of the gates if this were a fairy tail of western origin."

Wanda realized that was the energy she felt from the orb, "usually when I do this, I can see someone's past or future."

"Sorry, it may work on lesser mortals but not Hoshi," she paused to lean over on her knees. "Your powers were man made, so you don't quite have the potential a natural born Oracle would."

"So that sounds like a backwards insult if I've ever heard one."

"Yes, well, my era wasn't known for playing politics the way yours does."

"You're old like Kay."

Seiza nodded, "a little older than that."

"Then is she..."

"Well, she looks like a spring chicken...compared to what I am, it would be like comparing that to a redwood tree in California."

Wanda looked at her, "usually when I do this I don't end talking to someone else...who are you exactly?"

"I told you," she paused, "I'm Seiza, what you should ask, is what I am? As for that, I am the spirit of the armor that protects Hoshi. She's asleep quite hard, even I can't reach her, and I don't even know what's going despite seeing everything she sees."

Wanda crossed her arms, "then you know..."

"About Rowen? Yes, and I'm afraid something has happened to Kento, but he's still alive..."

"Who's behind all this?"

"I know even less then probably Kay," she paused. "I will task you with something though, Oracle, protect them..."

"Protect who?"

"Jun and Sei, they are too young to come into their powers yet but that's what someone is hoping to do. That much I do know."

"Who..."

Seiza looked around her and Wanda looked back to see a shadow stirring in the door way, a terrible dark shadow with swords sticking out of its back. She could hear a terrible laughter and the woman stood up, summoning a black Katana to her hand, "wake up now before he notices you..."

Wanda snapped out of her daze and noticed she was on the floor in Vision's arms. She looked at him and sat up but the two spirits were gone. He helped her stand up and she looked down at the woman as he asked, "what did you see?"

"A battle between evil and more evil."


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Pepper leaned over Tony quietly and wrapped her arms around his neck, he was frustrated. He was always frustrated anymore, but the added death of Rowen made him less than even that. She put her chin in his dark hair, hair red hair cascading over her shoulder. He was furiously trying to decrypt something, but the whole building was still mostly dark, he couldn't even get Friday to work right.

"The news says it was a faulty power supply that blew," she said as she ran her hands into his shirt. "Why don't you come to bed?"

"No, I'll come in a bit, I need to figure this out," he said softly. "Rowen died protecting us from something, I'm sure of that but someone was trying to keep him quiet."

She sat next to him, "I don't want to alarm you then..."

He raised eyebrow, "what?"

"Hoshi's plane went down in the ocean, and that was Kento's family that was attacked. There's a big search going in Japan for Kento and his two kids. It all sounds extremely coincidental."

"It is," he said looking up at her. "You should go to Malibu, I don't want you involved in this."

"There you go again."

"Then at least to the cabin."

"What has you so worried?"

"You didn't know Rowen the way I did," he paused to look at her and kissed her hands ever so softly, "if there was someone who was more of a boy scout than Cap it was Ro. So I don't know how he got dragged into something like this..."

She saw the 'Legend of the Five armors', sitting open near him. Wind blew through the open windows and flipped to a page with a drawing of an armor. It looked strangely aerodynamic but it was the crest that caught her attention. She slid it over to her and flipped the book around, "that's odd..."

He looked at her, "it's just dumb old book, Rowen had a weird collection of stuff like that..."

She pointed to the crest, "doesn't that look like the Hashiba Industries Logo his father used?"

He scrunched his nose and then realized what it looked like it in the turned position. He read under it, "Tenku..."

She saw him look back to the tablet and he tapped in a few hiragana that translated into a Kanji. The program running seemed to accept it and suddenly the screen changed to a smiley face. Pepper saw Tony frown, "smug son of bitch..."

The smiley face disappeared and it read, ' _welcome ToBro.'_

"To Bro," asked Pepper with an eye brow raised.

Tony chuckled, "To Bro and Ro Bro were our nicknames at MIT."

Something that looked like mobile gaming app popped on the screen and she sighed, "isn't that his mobile mainframe that he's so proud of? Looks like an arcade to me."

"Yeah, most of this isn't available since this isn't on his network..."

Pepper watched him fool around with the menu for a moment and she saw something pop up, "Project Inferno."

"Shall we take a look," he asked.

She nodded. He opened it and several blue prints appeared, he flipped between them until he saw something similar to the one in the book. She asked, "was he making armor?"

"Looks like it, I guess," he paused, remember she hadn't heard Kay's story. He flipped through til a video came up, "well, Ro...let's see what you were making..."

The video was crappy at first but then Rowen was present on the screen, he looked exhausted and held a fancy silver e-vapor cigarette, "hey, the only person I know that can crack my main frame is Tony. I'm sure if you have this it's because Maria took, she's been on my case about getting rid of this stuff but I trust that if she does it that it will end up in your hands. Runa should bring you the key to decrypt it..." Rowen paused to refill the cartridge, "ha, funny thing about giving up addictions is that there's always this itch and there's always a reason for the itch. I started smoking because of the armors and the homework, etc...so til this day, I still can't give it up when I'm stressed."

There was a pause as he looked over the silver cigarette in his hand, "it started off as a simple project, I kept it secret because of you being Iron Man and all. Last thing I wanted was to have a copy right lawsuit slapped on me, and thankfully when you were in congress that time, no one suspected what I was working on..."

The video cut to a feed of a test simulation, Tony saw pepper leaned next to him and ask, "is that Runa?"

"Looks like her," he paused as the video showed her hold up a shark like pin. He remembered it from her tie.

Runa said as she looked it over, "you're sure this going to work, Hashiba?"

"Yes, just say your name."

She rolled her eyes to the camera, "My name is Runa Jones, also known more widely as Shark. I am here for Suiko in the event that he denies his part in this..."

"Runa," Rowen hissed.

"Fine, but if this is botched, my lawyer is suing..."

"Runa!"

Tony snorted as the girl rolled her eyes and Pepper laughed, "reminds me of someone."

Runa Jones took a step back and held up the pin, lightning struck around her and a silver trident appeared. She whirled it in her hand and her eyes went silver an she fainted. "At first, I thought it a failed project," Rowen said as the video flipped back to him. "I mean it seemed ludicrous, create the powers of old with the technology of the new and not have any of the limitations the old armors did. It wasn't meant to be anything but a defensive measure against the Nendo..."

It showed a red creature like the one Steve had described to Tony, it was in a glass cage. A small silver needle shot through its head and it vanished, "vibranium seems to be the only thing that worked on them but there was a problem..."

The video showed an old picture. Tony recognized the people as the ones Natasha had forwarded him. Five teenage boys, a woman who looked like a young Maria, a kid, and a tiger were all standing in front of the New York skyline on the Manhattan bridge. Rowne switched back, "not everyone wanted to participate, so I had to find replacements. Runa replaced Cye, and Rinfi replaced Kento..."

There was a brief picture of small Chinese girl holding a long silvery pole staff.

"I calculated that with the rate the Nendo were appearing, Kunito would make an appearance soon," he said glancing at the calender on his desk. "It's January 2014 by the way. So I made all five...a shark pin for Runa; a dragon for Rinfi; a dagger for Sage; A cigarette for me; and for Ryo? A tiger of course."

The video switched to show a young dark haired man with a with a white tiger, he tried summoning something but the swords only showed up briefly.

Rowen paused before he went on, "but Ryo's never worked. Sage expressed his concerns that using something in effigy would mean the same as having the actual object but I felt none of the side affects..."

The video switched back to the man who kept trying to summon the swords but failing. The tiger growled and tried to pry the talisman away but flames erupted and video cut. Rowen ran a hand through his hair, "of course he couldn't summon it, he had long given up on his benevolence...Thankfully I was able to stop the large shipment of Vibranium your long time merc friend was able to obtain for me but the incident left several of them wary. Sage gave me back the dagger and Runa never wanted to hear from me again and took Rinfi with her back to New York so that she could stay with her Uncle Chin..."

Pepper frowned, "what happened to the man?"

Rowen smiled at the screen, "don't blame Sage, he was doing what was right. I would never be free of the effigy, I can feel it...but its not the armors...its the inferno..." Rowen paused to run a hand through his hair, "I apologize Tony, I'm not going to live much longer and I'm afraid Ryo is going to wage a war against Hoshi...I can't tell her or Kento...the effigy prevents me from saying anything to either of them and in some ways, you as well. I can't ask for help. I'm stuck talking to a machine and hoping you're smart enough to break the backwards code I've created using our family's crests..."

He paused again then said, "I'm sorry but there will be influx of Nendo because of the large amounts of vibranium that's resting out side of Wakandan territory. Please, keep Hoshi and the kids safe."

The video vanished and a smiley face appeared before the screen went blank.

Tony didn't even try bringing up the program again and he leaned over the tablet. Pepper slid off of his desk and kissed his temple, she knew when to leave him alone but he didn't need her pestering him at the moment. Not only had he lost a good friend, but his good friend had pretty much committed suicide in a round about way.

He looked back her, "please go to the cabin..."

She nodded, "I'll pack now. Tony, don't do anything dumb...okay?"

He nodded singularly as he thought about all the vibranium that was still probably being collected from Sikovia. No wonder why Cap was targeted, they were all at the homing beacon. He rubbed his hands through his hair and looked at the screen as something went through his mind. He dug in a drawer and pulled out an old file labeled Bio.


	20. Chapter 19

**You know, because cute stuff is cute. XD**

Chapter Nineteen

Steve woke from the sound of the window in the living room rattling. He slipped on his tshirt and pants as he got up, he had spent most of the evening arguing with Kay. Albeit, it wasn't bad arguing, more like the banter he had with old Avengers team on more than one occasion. He had offered his bed, since she was still not one hundred percent, and some how she found it insulting and insisted she sleep on the couch. He didn't know what he heard, but in times like this his sleep was easily interrupted in case of emergency.

He walked into the living room, "Kay..."

He looked up and saw it was open and saw a shadow dart out. He rubbed the back of his neck and grumbled to himself, "I better get a long nap tomorrow..."

He climbed out on the window ledge and saw the movement across the roofs across the street. He grabbed on to the fire escape and scaled it easily, he could see the movement barely and as soon he reached the roof he began to chase after it. He was assuming it was Kay, but she had never moved that fast before. Even that moment on the roof, had been fast, but this was insane. This was like Pietro fast.

He realized soon that the shadow was moving towards the direction of the gate he had seen. It was Kay, he assured himself, but he had to make sure she was okay. Only Pietro had ever passed him up running wise, he didn't count anyone who could fly, but he wondered how much power the armor actually had if it could make her do that. She was skilled before, but now...he could only wonder.

He saw her standing on the edge of building, she was starring up at the dark sky. He caught his breath, "Kay, you couldn't have told me you wanted a midnight work out and I would have joined you."

"The gates will open soon." She looked back, her eyes glowing red. She seemed to see right through him and then he saw her hold her head, "I'm sorry Steve..."

She fell to her knees and he caught her, "Kay..."

She looked at the orb in hands and dropped it scrambling away from it, "I knew it, I knew it would do this..."

He picked it up, it was warm to the touch, "do what?"

"I don't want to be that person again," she said taking deep breaths. "I can't handle it, I never could."

He saw the fear in her face, he had seen dismayed and she gave him the rare smile, but fear didn't seem to be a trait her face knew. He looked around and saw a clothes line on the roof, he grabbed a shirt and wrapped the orb tight before he went over to her. "Why did you come out here?"

"It wanted me to open the gate," she said as she calmed herself. She rubbed her head, "I heard him, so clearly in my head..."

"Who?"

"Emperor Talpa, his laugh woke me up and I felt the armor's will guiding me out here to the gate," she paused, "I couldn't control it...I knew it. I could never live up to Anubis's strength, he was a warlord long before he came to the nether realm, so he had the will to resist it."

Steve sat across from her and placed the orb on the side between them. She looked at him with big eyes as he said, "of course not..."

"Well gee..."

"No one lives up to their predecessor doing exactly what the person before them did."

She scowled, "then what am I suppose to do, I felt it but...damn...you'll think I'm dumb."

"I won't."

She sat up and folded her hands on her legs. "I thought that because I wasn't around the Warlords and I was around a hero, that maybe it wouldn't affect me..."

He smiled, "you mean me?"

"Yes, I mean you, Baka."

"I'm a hero in your book?"

"Don't go fishing for compliments," she scowled but his dorky smile seemed ease her. She still felt shaky and looked down at her hands, "I'm sorry...I'm a burden..."

"No," he said taking her shaking hands, there were so many scars. Thin and light, but deep enough to be permanent, he had to know what caused them. "What are these from? From what I've seen, nothing should leave a scar on you..."

She bit her lip, "back in the Nether Realm, my brothers seemed to be at peace there. They were demons here on Earth before their time with Talpa, so it wasn't a bad place for them...it wasn't the same for me."

He could see her look down sadly, "you can tell me later if you like."

"I brought you all the way out here, I feel obliged," she said biting her lip a little more. "I couldn't fit it, I was supposed to be Queen but none of the factions listened to me. Dais did his best to keep our kingdom loyal, but I felt it was his kingdom more than mine. I hated the armor...and like now...it would take control of me and I would wake up in odd places. Sometimes, in the middle of a battle field with thousands of victims around me. I started to cut my hands when I realized they would shake before the armor took me...I couldn't...I didn't want..."

He saw tears falling down her face and he reached over to hug her. She sobbed quietly into his shirt, "it reminded you of the other thing that controlled you, huh?"

He could only feel her sobbing but he didn't let go. Underneath the tough fighter and the beautiful face, she was still a strangely young inexperienced woman. He remembered having his mind fucked over by Wanda only weeks ago, but having to deal with it for centuries would fracture anyone. He didn't say anything more and just held her for as long she let him. She pulled back and wiped the tears from her eyes, "I must look like a terrible weakling to you..."

"No," he said picking up the orb wrapped in material. "I had a choice in my path to an extent but I wasn't always like this..."

She slid her knees up to her chin, "I know that you were a normal person before the War."

"Is that what they tell everyone," he snorted as he reached in his pants pocket and pulled out a small leather bound. "I was very sick as a young man, tuberculosis..."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Consumption..."

"Oh," she nodded.

"The great depression, Spanish flu, all of that left me a very sickly young man," he paused, "but as long as I could remember, I wanted to be a soldier and help my country but they wouldn't even look at me."

She saw him open up the journal and she saw his drawing of her, "is that...me?"

"Yeah, the night the first Nendo appeared," he paused, "this is what I used to do...it's all I could do was be an artist. It seemed like the patriotic thing if you weren't a soldier but I wasn't as happy as Pollock or Rockwell with it. So I volunteered one more time and they took their chance on me. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't have had the life I've had but it doesn't mean I think any less of the person I was then."

She looked at him with her dark blue eyes and then looked at the drawings illuminated in the dark, "but I've never been anyone, just whatever the Nether Realm wanted me to be."

"Then, let's change that."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Since, you're still in no shape to go into a battle that we're not sure when will start, how about you work on being Kayura."

"You're super corny."

"I'm not this generation's Bob Ross, I promise."

"Who?"

"Never mind," he chuckled handing her the orb. He stood up and held out a hand. She looked at the golden god in the dark night, she didn't believe in angels or Bodhisattva, but he sure made her question whether there were guardians out there for everyone.

She took it and jumped on her feet, "care to try and keep up with me?"

He smiled, "that a challenge Miss Kay?"

"You bet your ass it is," she grinned back and started to take off.

He laughed to himself as he run after her, "you're going the wrong direction!"


	21. Chapter 20

**More cute awkwardness. XD**

Chapter Twenty

Kayura awkwardly looked at Steve in the dark of his apartment and he noticed, "Kay?"

She shook her head, "good night, Roger-san."

"There you go again, you can call me Steve, its alright," he said softly and turning towards his room. He leaned against the door, "if you need anything, let me know..."

"Um."

He looked back at her, his eyes were like blue lightning in the night, "what's wrong?"

She bit her lip again, "would you mind if I took your offer."

He nodded, he didn't mind giving up his bed, "be my guest..."

She stood up, "would you mind staying though?"

He raised an eyebrow, "I definitely should stay in the living room then..."

She scowled and smacked his shoulder, "not like that, you baka..."

He saw how red her cheeks were, it must have taken all of her courage to even say something like that. He felt like a moron without her calling him that, "I'm lost then..."

"Do all American men have their minds so far in the gutters? Never mind, forget I said anything."

He saw her stomp back to the couch and he sighed, he really wanted to sleep. He sat down next to her, "no, I always say something stupid around you, don't I?"

"I think that's just a quality of a man."

He rubbed a hand through his hair and said, "you sound so insulting yourself sometimes."

"I suppose that's another quality we share."

"Yeah," he paused, "so what did you mean?"

She glanced down at her fidgeting hands, "I just don't want to be alone is all."

"I see."

She looked up at him as he stood back up, he held out a hand for her again. She stood up but didn't take it, "please, don't make it weird."

He nodded and slipped his hands in his pockets as she followed him into his room. She noted it was rather bare, but didn't say anything about it. His bed was small and he sat down on it, "it'll be a bit snug..."

She sat down on the opposite side of him, he noticed she sat with her back to him. It must have taken a lot of courage for her to say anything like considering how much of a fuss she put up earlier. As cool as she was most of the time, she could be fire cracker when she was insulted. He laid back and rolled onto his side and squashed his pillow to be comfortable, "sorry..."

There was silence for a moment but then she said, "let's stop apologizing."

He looked at her, "...yeah?"

"Let's accept that we're both really strange and slightly insulting to each other," she paused, "I don't know what you call that?"

"Friends?"

She looked back at him, "tomodatchi desuka? (Friends, huh?)"

"Soudesu (yup)," he smiled and she laid on her side next to him. Her back to his, "I think that the last couple of days qualify it as that."

She smiled to herself, knowing he couldn't see, and then said, "you would the first one in a very long time."

He smiled to himself, "you sound like you miss someone..."

He didn't hear a response and looked over his shoulder and saw the gentle ups and downs of her back, she must have drifted off with her last sentence. He smiled to himself and pulled up the covers for her. He went back to his side and said, "sweet dreams, Kay."


	22. Chapter 21

**Because Pepper has Tony's unique skill of showing up at the wrong time. XD**

Chapter Twenty One

Kay felt sunshine on her eyelids again and rolled over in the bed before realizing where she was and that she was alone. She looked around the room, it was warm from the early morning sunshine coming through the large glass window, and she tugged on her hoodie. She had slept in the jeans and shirt and she felt like she really needed a shower. She could smell the classic American breakfast scent as she straightened the bed. She felt a blush on her cheeks and looked in the mirror, she looked like crap. She turned and looked at the shaved part of her head, it was filling in far more quickly than she hoped. She ran a hand through it and it was soft at least.

"You can't be serious, Steve."

She felt the orb in her pocket, still wrapped in the found shirt, and looked out the crack in the door. It was a woman's voice who had spoken and she recognized it as the woman who used to be a secretary for Stark. Steve smiled at the red head, "look, she just needed someone to be nearby, Pepper... It wasn't anything else."

"I should hope not, she's bad news."

"Why do you say that?"

"Did you see what she did to Happy?"

"Widow beat him up once too," he said with a smirk. She could see him bring her a plate through the thin crack.

"Yeah, well that was different."

"I don't see how," he said to her. "Or are you just being over protective for some reason?"

The woman just scowled, "I don't trust Hoshi, so I definitely don't trust her..."

"Why, no one seems to talk bad about her," he paused, "I've seen her art, its disturbed, but art is what you make of it..."

"She's manipulative," she paused and Kayura had to agree with that much. "Anyways, Nat asked me to drop these off for you for her. Just some clothes and such, because she's sure you didn't think of anything like that for her."

"Definitely didn't."

"She's heading to Connecticut for some reason, she told me to tell you."

"I'm sure its to tell Fury because she's busy. I don't know what she expects me to do."

"She said 'figure it out lover boy'," Pepper laughed, "I have to think though if she likes her she can't be that bad."

"Would you both stop trying to set me up with every living thing?"

"If we were trying to do that, we would have just have let that one friend of Tony's..."

"Don't go there..."

Pepper laughed and Kay watched her give him a hug, "just be careful, okay?"

"We're friends, I assure you."

"Alright, then," she said as she walked out, her heals echoing behind the door click.

Kayura slowly opened the door, "is she gone..."

"Welcome to the world," Steve said with a smile, "I'm sure you heard her..."

"Miss Potts is just being a cautious friend," she replied and he could see that she had gone back to being stone faced again. "Or another pushy one, I haven't made up my mind."

He smiled, she knew what they were trying to do as well, at least he didn't have to worry about her falling into their snare, "Nat bought you clothes, you use the shower if you like."

She looked in the bag and reached in daintily, and he saw her frown and not pull anything out. She rolled her eyes, "she's so..."

"Irritating," he finished politely.

She rolled her dark eyes up at him, "unbelievably so."

"Dare I ask."

"No," she said picking up the bag and turning towards the bathroom's direction. "I don't know if was meant as an untasteful joke or she seriously thinks...never mind."

"Let's leave it at never mind."

Kayura walked into the shower and sighed as she locked the door. She laid her back against the door and let out a deep breath. She slipped the sweater off, she could feel the orb sitting in it feet away. She hated feeling like she wasn't alone but she wasn't going to let it out of her sight. She quietly slid the clothes off and looked in the mirror, he was very neat and tidy and she could appreciate it. Only her hands were covered in scars but she felt like every inch should be. She started the water and she reached out to test its temperature before slipping in. It felt good against every achy muscle in her body and she slunk down in to the basin to let the water pour on her. She could feel tears falling from her eyes as she sobbed quietly into her knees. She didn't mind crying in front of Steve, but she was losing something of herself every day the past week or so and she just needed a moment to be sad for herself.

She borrowed some of his shampoo and scrubbed and scrubbed until her skin was stinging and raw. She felt so filthy for some reason. Steve was a perfect gentleman through and through, it wasn't him that made her feel that way. It was the armor. It crawled under her skin and through each vein and nerve. She could feel it in her muscles and cells, and she didn't want it there. She stood up and rinsed off the suds before turning it off again. She dug through the bag of clothes before she found a few things that were halfway decent but everything was form fitting in one way or another. She chose another pair of jeans, these had rips on the knees for some reason, matched with a white blouse with a red under shirt. Thankfully for her, she was small enough int he bosom, she could get away with not wearing the ridiculous contraption called a bra but she picked a pair of lace panties for under neath everything. It was the only pair that weren't just a thin string.

She walked out of the shower and she could see Steve reading a newspaper, "aren't those considered antiques?"

He looked up at her, "look who's talking."

"Ouch," she said with a forced smirk. His smile at her was so genuine and she ached as she put on the hoodie again. If she was going to ware ridiculous clothes, she was going to hide them.

"Speaking of antiquities," he paused to show her the page, "we should go to a museum."

She looked at him as she sat down across from on the couch, there was a covered plate on the coffee table, "for me?"

He nodded, "you like art, right?"

"I was in Japan when ceramics were at their finest," she smiled brilliantly as she opened it took a bite. She smiled, "you cook fantastically, you know that?"

"It's just simple things, no one says my cooking is fantastic. Boring maybe, but not fantastic."

She shrugged, "considering, I never really learned..."

He raised an eyebrow, it seemed like a strange essential to him, "never?"

"I was raised like royalty, I didn't exactly have to do things like that."

"Oh, well, don't I feel privileged."

She rolled her eyes.

"You do that well."

"I picked it up fast," she smirked.

"So do you like paintings more?"

"Hoshi's kind of gave me enough of that," she replied quietly. "And I don't care for other art, its more like a historical reminder of my age."

"So what do you want to do?"

"I've never been to Coney Island," she said calmly.

"Never?"

She shook her head, "I've only lived in New York for about a year."

"Wait, you live here?"

She paused, "sort of..."

He lowered the newspaper, "what do you mean sort of?"

"Hoshi has a mansion that belonged to her parents in the Northern New York," she paused, "she didn't want to live there and doesn't want to get rid of it...but it was more like a base than a home..."

"...So do you have a home?"

She looked at him sadly, "its long gone..."

"Where was it?"

Kayura exhaled and blankly said shortly, "what would now be Chiba."

Steve came over and sat next to her, "that's why you want to go to the ocean?"

She nodded.

He smiled, "well, let's go. Maybe I'll win you a corny over sized stuffed animal?"

"I can win one myself, thank you very much."

"There you go challenging me again."

Her lips curled into a devious smirk, "there's no challenge."

"Oh, those are sparring words, Miss Kay," he teased as he stood up. "Fury said to make sure you were alright, I think this falls under that category."

She nodded, "now, are you ready for a run?"

He rolled his eyes, she was going to be a work out.


	23. Chapter 22

**Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone! I thought I'd give you guys a small warlord chapter as brief break from Kay and Steve. Cuteness will ensue but first the mystery deepens. Why did Sage kill Rowen?**

Chapter Twenty Two

Widow yawned as she sat up, she was used to sleeping in odd uncomfortable places but trains were the worst when there were no sleeper cars. Just enough room to spread out but not enough to actually be comfortable. She looked around, the young man was gone but it was moments before he leaned over the chair next to her. He had a great smile as he asked, "tea?"

She nodded as he sat down next to her with two styrofoam cups, "why did you choose the slowest mode of transportation?"

He looked at her and blinked, "I needed some time to collect myself. I'm sure you understand the consequences of everything I've told you? Yes?"

"That someone in your group in planning a coup?"

"Yes, but like you all, we were friends and brothers in arms," he paused to look at her, "so it breaks my heart to have to do this to any of them."

"Well with great power comes great responsibility, right," she asked.

"Yes, but its when its based on heritage that's the problem, none of us chose this life," he paused, "it was ill fated if I do say so myself."

"Sounds like you're bitter."

"Wouldn't you be? I was fifteen when this fate was given to me. My entire life has been moments of peace shrouded in an overhanging veil of battle and demons."

"I don't think I can relate," she paused to look at him. He definitely had the sweetest eyes she had ever seen besides Bruce but like him there was something angry behind them. "But I've always been in the middle of war."

"Sorry, I shouldn't complain."

Natasha shook her head as the train started slowing down, "no, we all have our problems. Tell me, you said your wife vanished a few days ago and left you with a task to return all the orbs. How did the man who killed him get his?"

"I was only given the war lord ones."

"Runa said trust the war lords, but that's not a name necessarily associated with trustworthiness."

"You like Kay don't you?"

Natasha smirked, "to be honest, I just see the way Steve looks at her and I trust her."

"Looks at her? Are you saying he likes her? He barely knows her."

"They have a lot in common," she answered with a soft grin, the man sounded very much like a father in that moment.

Cye sort of scowled at her, "don't try it."

"Not you too," she said as he stood up as the train came to a stop and followed him out. "Look even if its just a fling, better than being alone."

"No, its not that," he said as they walked onto the platform. "No, it's just that you would be tying his fate to hers and that's not something a mortal should have on their shoulders. Even a superior mortal. How old do you think I am?"

"Twenty something," she said unsure but then thought about the time span of events. None of that seemed right with his age, how come she didn't think of it before?

"I'm forty one," he smiled and she frowned as she looked him over. He stuck his hands in his pockets and pulled out the blue orb that she could vaguely read that said trust. "It's like we're stuck in the moments we were supposed to die."

"You mentioned that," she paused, "that someone changed all of your fates for her sake."

"Yeah, but its like time forgot about us," he said as they walked along the platform. "Don't you think it would be a cruel fate for a man who time gave a gift to to give him someone time has cursed?"

"You think Kay is cursed?'

"Her more so than us, tragically, but yes," he said they stepped out of the train station. It was a small town with old cottage like homes. "Why in blazes are they here?"

"No better place to hide than some place your friends least expect," she said with a smile and he frowned as they walked through the town. She felt a chill up her spine, and noticed the look on his face grow serious, "where is everyone?"

"This is how it began several times before," he said as he walked along with her. "The people just vanishing on a normal sunny day..."

"Where are they?"

"I honestly don't know," he said as he turned to walk back next to her. "You know my wife would definitely appreciate what you do."

"She was Wolf right?"

"That's right," he paused, "she never told me much about those days, so I rely on you to confirm my suspicions that they were part of some S.H.I.E.L.D program like Runa. I knew her before everything, and her mind was never that bloody fucked up."

"S.H.I.E.L.D hasn't always done things for good because its had its moments where Hydra has had its hold."

"I see," he paused, "I suppose it was only a matter of time before ran into you all and our days in the shadows were done for."

"They were done for the day Miss Koji went to the UN," said a deep voice from the roof a car.

Cye smiled up at the silver haired man with an eye patch, "I knew if I followed the rumors of a girl with a sword, I would run into you Dais."

"Yeah, well, this isn't your place Suiko," he said as he looked at the woman with red hair. She carried the dagger in her belt and the pin on her lapel. He frowned as he jumped down, "what has Kay gotten herself into now?"

Cye shook his head, "nothing that was inevitable."

He looked at the woman and bowed, "it's a pleasure to meet another spider."

She crossed her arms, "you are?"

"Dais," he said smiling at her scowl. "A black widow indeed..."

"I hope she bites your pervy head off," said another male voice from the shadows of the alley behind them. He was tall compared to dais with dark hair and eyes and built much like the captain whereas the the silver haired man was much thinner. "Well, hello, Suiko, have you come to help with our Wolf problem? She's set up quite the barrier in this town."

"You know he's a bleeding heart hero," rattled a voice from the roof of a nearby house. Natasha noted the man had mossy green messy hair and was much taller than the other two. He was composed of all angles and seemed to hunch a bit. Something about him though gave her the impression of a snake as he smiled with sharp teeth, "oh my who's the cutie pie! You bring us a present Suiko?"

Natasha scowled, "these are your warlord friends? Not very scary if I say so myself."

"Warlords, yes," Dais said with a hard smile. "Friends, I would never call us that."

"Natasha these are the Masho," he said and she recognized the word as Japanese for warlord. She was almost fluent in the language compared to Steve. "This is Dais, Kale, and Sekhmet."

"Like the Egyptian god," she asked and the man with mossy green hair almost jumped with glee.

"Yes, yes," he rattled.

"Don't get the idiot started," Kale said glaring at her. "This is no place for a date...you must have a thing for red heads."

"I'm still married, Kale," Cye answered. "Despite your disapproval."

"The woman shot me with a shot gun last time I saw you," he said picking up the small man by the shirt.

Natasha pulled out her gun, "sounds like I might like her."

"Put him down, Kale," Dais ordered and the man huffed as dropped Cye. "What are you doing here, considering your wife made it perfectly clear we were not to come wit a hundred yards of you."

"Yes, well, she also gave me the task of giving these to you," Cye said as opened his bag and pulled out the lacquered boxes. He glanced at Natasha who was putting her gun away, "I wouldn't do that again...it sort of turns Sekh on."

The man smiled with glee, "I can't help I like these dangerous woman of this era. I've heard only wonderful things about this red head."

Kale shook his head and said to Natasha, "seriously, don't."

Natasha could only smirk as she put away the gun.

Dais took the boxes with the crests on them, "why now."

"You felt it didn't you."

"There's a gate in New York," Kale said looking at the man as Dais handed him and sekh their own boxes. He smiled at the woman and tossed her his box, "sorry, but I don't join clubs anymore."

Natasha smiled at him, "you aren't invited anyways. I'm here because a friend of mine was attacked by one of those Nendo creatures and as far I know it was because your friend Rowen was messing around with some very bad technology."

Cye remembered the late night call from Stark that confirmed all of his suspicions. He added, "you know Raleigh can't make armors by her own will, it is only the heart that can do it in times of trouble."

"Yeah, yeah," Kale said reaching over and plucking his box back. "What makes you think we care anyways?"

Sekh rattled his tongue, "its Ryo isn't it."

Cye raised an eyebrow, "probably..."

Dais sighed, "what was Tenku doing?"

"He was trying to remake the armors using vibranium," he said motioning to the dagger on Natasha's belt. "Remember Ryo gave that dagger to Kay a few years ago?"

The three men looked at each other and Sekh mumbled, "I told her not to get involved with him..."

"That boy was always trouble," Kale added

Dais looked at Natasha, "what else are you in this for."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone which had been glitching the entire time they were there. She managed to pull up a picture of Maria, "you know this woman?"

"Aw, its that bitchy woman," Kale said looking away as Sekh smiled with glee and Dais remained unreadable.

Dais said, "yes, but we have not seen heads or tales of her since her fight with Ryo almost twenty years ago."

Cye asked, "what did they fight about?"

Skekh looked up as if pondering, "something about letting things be as they were and that they needed to get the brat some medical help."

"Yes, Rekka was so sure that he would 'snap' out of it without human intervention," Kale said, "I've seen what the armors do, but that was not something to 'snap' out of."

Natasha looked to Cye, who said, "the boy I told you about, Yuli."

"Where did she think she could go for help?"

The three shrugged at the spy's question but it was Dais who said, "that seems like an unimportant aspect of this. I think you should know it was when she left that Ryo became obsessed with finding a cure. Him and Tenku were working on some project together that our Queen disapproved of but didn't interfere with."

"Hoshi knew about Rowen making armors?"

The three glanced between each other and Dais asked, "nandesuka?"

"I'm guessing not," Natasha interpreted.

"No, he was working with that woman from Korea," Kale paused, "Helen Cho, I believe but there was nothing they could do at that time."

"Yesssss," sekh agreed, "and Ryo became upset."

Natasha was having a hard time believing that this didn't have something to do with the Ultron incident but she realized perhaps it was only a matter of time before either one of the smarties created some sort of sentient super robot. She didn't know if she was thankful that it was Tony or not. She then asked, "so are we going to do anything about what's going on here or just gossip all day?"

"I like her style," Kale grinned. Then said to Cye, "for your sake, I hope we won't need our armors."

"You and me both," he said as he followed after them. Natasha was only a step behind, "if things get rough, I won't blame you for getting out of the way."

"I'm not the sort who scares easily," she said to him with a smirk but this wasn't like fighting aliens or robots. This was like joining a fight with a bunch of Thor's kinsmen and hoping to keep up with someone who was literally a god but the problem was that all of them so far had seemed so normal. Well, at least Cye was, Kayura was a bit a stone face but seemed fairly normal, and Rowen well seemed like a big brain head like Tony. The blonde who killed him was a famous for his Kendo and she only knew of the man named Kento. But it was the three in front of them that concerned her, they just oozed another era.

Cye looked at the wary woman, "something bothering you?"

"Who do you believe is responsible for the coup," she asked as she felt a small tremor in the ground under her feet. Cye grabbed her, just as the ground ripped open in front of them. They tumbled behind a car and she looked back to see a woman with silver blonde hair standing in the intersection of the main street. She carried a large golden sword with her, "who in blazes?"

"That's the Amaterasu bearer," he answered as he saw the three war lords approach her. "Leah."

"How have you not captured her yet?"

"There's a reason why they call her the big bad wolf," he said as they spotted the three men. Kale had jumped to roof next to them, Sekh was standing to the crack with his arms crossed and a smile ear to ear but there was no sign of Dais. Dais came from the shadows of the building across the street, he clapped his hands, "so you finally learned how to use the Kusunagi."

Leah scowled, with her dark blue eyes, "I feel those monsters you were given back, I can't let you awaken them!"

Natasha felt the ground shake again and was blinded by the second attack. She looked up and she saw the woman standing in front of them with a hand on her hip and the sword in the other hand, "well, what do we have here? Suiko and well...well... another spider!"

Kale jumped at her with a small kodatchi in his hand, but she deflected him back into the building with an explosive landing. Cye summoned his trident like weapon and charged her but she swung her blade back knocking him flying. The woman knelt down to Widow as she pulled out her gun, but the woman grabbed it an sat next to her, "you know, I've been running for twenty years now."

Natasha sat there stunned for a moment, "I know you..."

She smiled as she leaned on her swords hilt, "we met in Budapest."

"I remember Budapest well," she said as she moved to get on her feet as Cye came over with his trident pointed at her. "I remember there being someone at fault too."

"What's an immortal supposed to do for fun, you know," she grinned as she saw the three men approaching. "You know, seeing you here has made me have a change of heart."

"what?"

She grabbed Natasha around the throat and placed the blade there, "you know, I was think that this time might be the time I give up and let you talk me to be punished but you know, I don't give up very well and it was dumb of you to bring a normal human into the fray even if she is notoriously amazing during the Chitauri invasion."

Natasha tried to pry her off, but the small woman felt as strong as the hulk did, despite her size. Cye raised his trident, "you hurt her and you will suffer more than just a singular death..."

"The pacifist is always the scary one, don't you think," Leah asked of Natasha who couldn't speak with her arm around her. "Look, I'll let her go on one condition."

Dais asked as he appeared, "and that is?"

"You let me help you all put ryo ten feet under," she smiled letting the woman go. "He's definitely got to be stopped before he brings our whole world front and center like those clowns who 'saved' Sacovia."

Cye let his yari vanish as he helped Natasha up as she coughed to clear her throat, "you really want to stay in the shadows."

"More than anyone in this motley crew," she said with a smirk. "And perhaps, I can hope to win back your favor."

"I don't trust you," Cye scowled.

"No one in their right mind would," said Dais.

She raised her sword and placed it against her back. She smiled and held out a hand to Natasha, "sorry, for my rudeness. I'm Leah, the bearer of Amaterasu, the armor of Hope."

Natasha didn't shake her hand and the woman just smiled as she walked past. Cye scolwed as Dais tried to talk to her with Kale, and Sekh sighed and said to the two of the, "so, where are we heading next?"


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

She squeezed the giant floppy rabbit as they walked through downtown Manhattan, between her and Steve none of the games stood a chance and they ended up escorted out of the permanent attraction a lot sooner than she would have liked. She smiled at him, "it reminded me of the spring carnivals we used to hold."

He looked at her, she had only taken the pink rabbit out of all the things she had won, he lightly laughed, "you look rather adorable with that thing."

She sighed as she saw a free bench, Steve had just finished telling her what Tony had found out on the flash drive, and she had taken it a lot better than he thought she was going to do. She looked at him, laying her head on the soft animal, "you know, in spite of all things, it could have been worse."

"How so?"

"Rowen could have made Ultron" she said and Steve nodded. Considering all things, he was pretty sure that Tony making Ultron was sort of blessing in disguise. He didn't know the blue haired genius well, but somehow he had a feeling he might have been a little more cunning and thoughtful. It was Tony's recklessness that both created and destroyed the thing. He watched her lean her face into the stuffed animal and rubbed her shoulder lightly. He felt bad for putting so much information on her. The fact that her friend had tried remaking a power using human methods, seemed almost insane. Then again, he was friends with Tony, they probably had a lot of traits in common but Rowen seemed to have more people skills. They sat in silence with each for several moments, the sounds of the city echoing around them. She slowly turned back to look at him, "thank you again."

"You've gotta stop that."

"No, I feel grateful for having an amazing friend."

He smiled back at her, "amazing huh?"

"Very much so," she replied as she heard a commotion a couple of streets over. The sounds of sirens and honking stopped bothering her years ago, but something about this unnerved her. There was a thick energy on the air that made her jumpy and fidgety. Steve could see her foot tapping on the ground, he bought her a pair of red converse shoes because the crocs she had borrowed from the hospital kept falling off her feet because they were far too big. She looked at him with big eyes, "now, what so we go do now?"

He saw storm clouds moving in, "perhaps get in doors before this storm hits. Funny, the weather said nothing about rain."

She stood up, handing him the giant rabbit, "that's not storm clouds..."

"No, those definitely aren't storm clouds," said a male voice next to them, he was a large man wearing an rust orange hoodie.

He reached out to grab her but Steve was on his feet, dropping the rabbit, and pulling Kay behind him. Kay looked around him, she was definitely faster and stronger, but she hadn't sensed the man being so close. How could she over look where he was, even if it was just a few feet away. She felt her ribs ache and she clutched her side as Steve said, "she's under my protection, you mess with her, you mess with me."

"I didn't know your new boyfriend was a super hero," the man laughed as the wind started to pick up blowing off his hood. She could see the man, he hadn't changed at all either, but he had cut his wild charcoal hair short with twinkling blue black eyes. There were dark circles underneath those amazing eyes and the bright smile that should have adorned his strong face was solemn. "How could you Kay?"

"How could I what, Kongo," she said with a wince to her ribs. The sudden jerk made her ache all over.

He looked at a parked car next to him and rested his hand on the door, "don't play dumb with me."

Kay grabbed Steve's arm just as the man grabbed the car up with a singular hand. Steve was not expecting that as the man threw the car. He grabbed her and they tumbled into the street the car missed them. A car screeched to a halt as he helped Kay to her feet, "well, now who's that?"

"My name is Kento Lei Faun," he said cracking his knuckles and crossing his arms. "I've come to put down a dirty traitor, Captain. Give me the girl, and I'll leave you out of this. Although, I've been curious if I'm stronger than you."

"Don't be stupid, Kongo," Kay hissed, "I have nothing to do with this!"

"My wife is abducted by S.H.I.E.L.D and you're coincidentally at the party where Rowen is slain, I've learned that there are never coincidences where you are concerned" he laughed angrily picking up another car as if were a beach ball. He narrowed his eyes at her, "I never trusted you..."

Steve scooped her up and jumped out of the way as the car crashed into the ground, "well, he's a bit of a hot head. What did you do in your past to deserve this?"

"I kind of whooped him a few times, his ego is pretty astounding and somehow I suspect Hulk can sometimes be reasoned with unlike him," she complained as he set her down. She didn't want to use the armor of cruelty against Kento but she was fairly certain she was going to have to. He was strong enough without his armor to be part of the Avengers if the circumstances were correct.

Kento lifted another car above his head, "if it takes me taking you down, that gate will not open!"

The man threw the car and Steve went to grab Kay just as they felt a tingle on the air. There was an explosive decompression feeling and the two were blinded with a bright light, "Rai Ko Zan!"

Kay felt her vision come back and saw Sage standing in front of them. He was wearing dark slacks and evergreen business jacket, "Anata wa futatabi, machigatte imasu. (You are wrong, once again.)"

Kento growled, "Anata wa watashi no hōhōdesu. (You are in my way.)"

"Anata wa Ro-chan no kirā o sagashite iru baai wa, mō sagasu hitsuyō wa arimasen, (If you are looking for Ro's killer, then look no further)," Sage said lowering the sword and letting it vanish. "Ika no tame ni watashi wa sonoyōni shita mono ga arimashita. (For it was I who did so.)"

Kayura mumbled to herself, "baka."

"I'm hoping he admitted to some part of what was falsely accused," Steve said barely making out some of the words spoken. He paused as he saw Kento slug the man who stopped him, sending him crashing into a bus that had screeched to a halt nearby.

"Hai," she said as she winced again holding her side. Her legs went weak and she fell to her knees.

Kento looked back and rubbed the back of his head as he said, "Gomen'nasai, Kayura-san. (Sorry, Kayura.)"

Steve helped her up, "are you sure you trust him?"

"Despite everything, and his hot head, he's a decent person sometimes," she said with a frown as she saw Sage push himself out of the debris. "I can't say that for everyone here."

Sage shook off the debris as the cuts from the metal began to heal, "I did only what he asked me to do."

Kayura pushed past both men and socked him again sending him flying into a bill board, and then she subsequently fell to her knees as her side ached. She noticed that all the people were gone in the moment she fell to her knees. She could feel the tug on her armor and felt her stomach roll with queasiness and she fell over onto her knees. Steve was immediately by her side to help her up with Kento not to far behind saying, "well, you still have that hard right fist."

She glared at him, "you bastard, where the hell have you been?"

"Me? What about you? You could have called! I might have not flipped out!"

"Oh, of course its my fault, its always my fault when it comes to you all," she hissed as she shoved Steve off. "Where the heck and Jun and Sei?"

"I figured they'd be with you."

"No, they weren't even with Rowen and Hoshi when I saw them."

"Those brats are dead," he said grumbling as he turned away and started stomping towards Sage who had jumped down from the debris. Steve could see that the man's arm was twisted at a bad angle, and noticed as the bones crunched back in place. Kento grabbed the blonde pretty boy by the shirt and threw him in front of Kayura, "nazedesuka?"

"Because I had to, you don't understand Kento," he said slowly standing up. He noticed Kay was wincing, and remembered he had cracked almost all of her ribs. He had suspected her of having an armor, but almost killing her, resolved that mistake and he realized that she probably had the Ogre back now. "Rowen was attached to that thing..."

Kento cracked his hands, "I don't' want to hear it..."

Kayura stood between them, "no, he's right. Tony cracked some file that had been stolen by Mia."

"Mia," he asked as he looked at Sage then back to the small women who was looking rather pale. "alright, maybe somebody should explain before I pummel anyone else..."

Steve crossed his arms, remembering what Tony had told him. "He was remaking your armors."

Kento frowned and turned away from them. Sage grabbed Kayura back lightly as Kento picked up an ambulance and threw it into a building, "I told that bastard not to mess with that! That's why Rinfi and Uncle Chin are dead, that better not have been you!"

Sage shook his head and held up his hands, "no, that wasn't me. I was trying to break the hold of the effigies not collect them!"

Kay looked at him, "then the dagger..."

"I think Ro gave it to you knowing you would be able to control it."

She frowned at him, "I used it as a dagger."

Sage shrugged, "or maybe your just too sweet at heart to do anything malicious with something that may be equally as dangerous as Talpa."

She slugged him into Kento, and she felt a pain course through her ribs and Steve caught her, "so Rowen was trying to correct a mistake, but it inevitably lead to a problem in of itself. All the vibranium he used is attracting Nendo."

"Speaking of which," Kento said shoving Sage out of his arms. "You notice the storm brewing?"

Kayura looked up and saw the dark clouds above, there was a trail of red ones that lead North. She realized it was the Avengers facility and that Steve couldn't see a dang thing they could. She touched her hand to his head and he could see the dark swirls of red and black clouds and he said, "I really can't get used to that."

She smiled at him as he helped her stand and she said to Sage, "did you really have to smash me, Korin?"

He shrugged, "I thought you were the traitor, so ..."

Steve crossed his arms, "that's two of you who..."

The two men looked at each other and Kento said, "obviously we were both wrong, one of us more than the other."

"We'll discuss it later," Sage replied back, "I can fix that, Kay."

She scowled as she started to walk, "no way am I letting you touch me after what you did to Tenku."

Steve sighed as he ran to catch up with her, "Kay, maybe you should..."

Sage watched the two walk a few feet ahead, "so if she's not the traitor, who is?"

"I was certain it was you or Ro, I mean I'm certain Ryo has something to do with this but I don't think its him," he paused, "I mean he lost it after Mia and said some hurtful things, but I saw him last year..."

"And?"

"He seemed content with all things honestly."

"It can't be Cye, I tried interrogating him about the whole thing, and he knew as little as any of us except Raleigh remade our armors for some reason."

Kento shook his head and crossed his arms as he watched Steve trying to reason with Kayura to let Sage heal her, "you know, that's sort of cute in a way."

Sage rolled his eyes, "I don't think he's her type anyways."

"Jealous?"

Sage started walking after the two, "no, but not much to be jealous of considering I'm more handsome any day."

Kento remembered his arrogance, and as mad as he was about Rowen, he had a bigger job to do. Protect Junko and Seito wherever they may have been and save the earth once again but that was going to be hard without Rowen. He looked at the armor of Justice in his hand, Hoshi had given it to him before they left. He had to find his wife first and foremost.

He looked at the super soldier and the ancient girl, and he smiled.

At least, Kayura had a friend now.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four

"So this happens every time," asked Steve as he looked around the city. It was a ghost town, not even after the Chitauri had the city been this empty. It concerned him a whole lot more than it seemed to concern them. "Whole cities of people just vanish?"

"Yeah, where do they go," asked Kento of Kayura.

She was really pale as she sat down to catch her breath, "honestly, Talpa only took them that first time to get your attention, I don't know about after."

"Rowen always thought it was the gap in the dimensions," Sage said to them causing silence. "That when the dimensions got close to opening up, the people would just slip through the cracks."

"Gee," said Kento. "I would have loved to have heard all of his theories on this sort of thing, that he was told not to experiment with!"

Sage scowled back at the man as they paused to let Kayura rest, they had made a detour so that the captain could grab his shield, but walking all the way across town was still not an easy feat for anyone with cracked ribs. "I told you, at first I thought you guys knew..."

Kento watched as Steve helped Kayura sit on the stairs and disappear into the brownstone, "really, you think I would have approved of using my little sister and Runa? My sister was off limits Sage, and after all of this, there's going to be some punishment for idiot actions."

"I did what I thought was right but of course you always knew what was really justified."

Kayura sighed heavily as they prattled on with their arguing, "could you two stop, you're making my head hurt. I thought Kale and Sekh were bad."

"Where are the warlords anyways," asked Sage.

"I don't know, chasing after Leah some more? They seemed pretty certain they found her last time I saw them."

"She is not important right now," Kento groaned rubbing his brow. "What is their fixation with her anyways, after the armors were eaten...they weren't honor bound to Ryo anymore."

"It was something to do," she said softly. "You have to realize, we were lost in your world. Wait, you said Rowen made one of those effigy items, where is it," she asked.

"It should have been on him..."

There was a large crash and Steve slammed a red lizard like creature into the ground between the two men and Kayura. The shield severed the creatures head in an instant and it vanished, Sage smirked, "well, now, he's more skilled than I would have thought..."

Steve glared at the blonde as the beast vanished, "Kay, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she smiled sweetly but she was still pale as she stood up but fell back on her butt as blood gushed from her mouth.

Sage dashed to her side instantly, "look, the armor may have saved your life but its definitely not interested in healing you completely. Let me help you..."

"I told you, you are not touching me," she hissed pushing away from him. Steve helped her up.

"Look, I understand you want to help her, but you really shouldn't put your hands on a lady without her permission," Steve said. Sage could feel the flat statement was both a threat and vow to protect the girl if he tried to touch her again. He was confident in his own skill and strength, but part of him didn't believe that all the amazing tales of the American hero were completely true. Either way, he wasn't going to mess with him.

Sage held up his hands, "fine, keep acting like your better than us."

She scowled and started to walk again, "are you planning on saving the world, ronin warrior, or are you going to let a war lord and an Avenger do your job for you?"

Sage smirked at her harsh comment as he watched her walk with Steve, "fiery as ever."

Kento sighed as they walked behind, "look, can we make this about saving the world and finding my kids and not a booty call?"

"Kay is not a booty call."

"All of your desires are booty calls as of late," Kento hissed remember the blonde man and Runa's strange attraction for a while, "trust me, you try that again and so help me, I won't hold my next punch."

Sage shrugged, "you can't blame another immortal for trying."

Kento caught up with the two leaving the blonde to walk behind, "sorry, about him, Kay..."

She shrugged it off, but he couldn't tell if was because she was mad or just didn't have the energy to say what she was thinking. He looked at Steve was definitely concerned but he had seen that look before on Rowen's face. The concern of someone who didn't know they were in love yet. It was rather cute, but he also felt that sort of thing lead to tragedy and heart break, at least from his experience with in the years past but it wasn't his place to bring up such things now.

"So is this dimensional thing why nothing is working," Steve said as he reached over to try to start a car.

Kento shrugged, "I always just assumed it was magic."

"Rowen said that creatures from the nether realm and red realm emit a small EMF," Kayura said.

All three looked at her, Sage asked, "really, he told you that?"

She nodded, "I was complaining that the cell phones he always gave me burned out within a month. So he just a gave me a stock of them before I just gave up on human technology all together."

Kento couldn't help but laugh, "god, Rowen, that was probably something you should have told all us. You dumb ass."

They turned down an alley way and saw several red creatures scampering down the street on the opposite side. Steve grabbed a fire escape and hopped to get a better view but it wasn't long before the three joined him. Kay holding onto Kento for support, they could see the brilliant former Avengers tower crawling with red lizard like creatures. She sighed, "well..."

"I'm surprised Tony hasn't made some flashy show?"

"Honestly his tech might not work," Sage said with a smirk. "It was the biggest risk I took the other day, but I was fairly certain that my lightning would short out his systems, or at least Rowen was positive."

Kayura looked at sage, "don't you think its wrong to pick a fight with the Iron God?"

"The Iron God," asked Steve as they started running across the buildings towards the tower.

"It was a joke that Dais would make every time he saw him in the news for something," she paused to before finishing her sentence, "he dislikes his methods as a warrior. I have to agree, he reminds me of the whole ronin team put together."

Kento grinned and Sage frowned at the comment but didn't reply to it as they ran. Kento could see Kay holding her ribs as they ran and he was worried but she was a very stubborn woman. Far more stubborn than Mia, his wife, or Raleigh. He realized that a millennium of slowly growing up still tricked him into believing he was only looking at twenty year old girl at the oldest. Sometimes, when her face wasn't so determined or harsh, he saw a fifteen year old woman. Never did he look at her as the millennium old goddess she actually was or the warrior that the warlords trained her to be. He had to stop that.

The creatures swarmed the building like bees on a hive, and Kento said, "well, shit, Tony Stark is in there?"

"I'm guessing he has Rowen's effigy," Sage said with a shake of the head. "Rowen didn't have it when I showed up but its affects were already permanent."

"What affects are we talking about," Steve asked.

"Well, that was it, it was like he was being controlled by something," he paused, "it did something different to everyone before he asked me to give up the dagger before I used it. Runa, it scared the hell out of, Rinfi became hyper vigilante and Ryo...Ryo sort of set his labs on fire but it was all like they were doing the will of something ...else. I couldn't place my fingers on it, but it was like when you were Badiman."

She glanced at him but didn't say anything, "well, if Stark is doing something stupid like Rowen was, it is our responsibility to stop him."

"Well said," Kento said pulling out the orange orb he had been holding in his pocket. "Race you to the top..."

Kay saw his orange sub armor appear in a bright light as he jumped off the building, Sage followed almost immediately. His green armor appearing in much the same way. Steve looked at her, "ladies first."

"Baka," she said jumping after them. She didn't need the Ogre to do what they did, but the pain was starting to grow. Steve jumped with her as they landed at the bottom of the swarm. Kento and Sage were already fighting their way to the building. She sighed, "immature as ever..."

"Shouldn't you, you know..."

she smiled at him as she grabbed a bar of loose rebar, "despite what you may think, I don't need my armor to cause damage."

"Glad to know," he said as she charged into the midst. He threw his shield, causing several creatures to evaporate instantly. It wasn't long before they were separated from the two warriors and he asked, "foolhardy?"

"Cye was the only one never to charge in," she complained as he shielded her from one creature.

She held her ribs and panted, he saw some blood on her lips, "unfortunately, my stamina is another story?"

"Stop pushing yourself, no one would blame you for hanging back," he said knocking away a Nendo.

"Gan Tessai," they heard Kento shout.

"Down," she said grabbing his arm and ducking under his shield as the Earth began to shake. They were surrounded by smoke. She clutched his arm and he see her grit in pain.

"I know you're going to hate doing this..."

Steve picked her up and threw her on his back and she complained, "I am not a back pack."

"No, but you aren't completely healed yet either," he said as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as he bashed another creature. He gained room to throw the shield and he cleared a path as Sage cut his way through in his full suit of armor. Steve would have been strangely impressed that such ancient magical equipment looked like it could rival Tony's modern equivalent.

He looked at Kay with suspicion, "you should just don Ogre then, don't be like Cye."

"Don't you insult Suiko, some of you ronins actually have a brain!"

Sage ignored her and charged into the fray as Steve said, "we're not getting anywhere, we need inside to see if Tony is alright."

"The windows are blocked," she said as he jumped on the back of one and started leaping frogging back to back on the larger ones. "where are you headed?"

"The security building," he said, "it connects to the main building."

She hung on tight as as she noticed Kento and Sage were following them. She was glad Steve could be a leader in this situation. She smiled to herself as she held on tight, she could feel his muscles ripple and she felt her heart race. She shook her head, she wasn't going to let things go to her head. Steve set her down as they burst in, Kento and Sage right behind as they closed the door. The creatures slammed into it, but the door was three foot steel that only opened because Steve still had the pass.

"How did that work" he asked and the three shrugged as he saw the two men let their armor vanish. They remained in their sub armors.

Kayura sat down, "don't ask me, Stark was your friend and leader..."

"Bout time you guys showed up," the man smiled from the dark of the room. "Figured you come for Rowen's pipe eventually."

The man who came out of the dark was the dark haired man that Kayura had a vast dislike for. He smiled ear to ear and crossed his arms, a small silver pipe in one hand, "he left this in my lab, Stabby."

Steve saw Kay frown at the nickname he gave her, "Tony you should be more polite."

"I should be more upset that you brought them in here," he said with a fake smile. "You all should be glad that I was able to figure out how to crack your EMF curse so I could track where the other effigies are moving..."

"They're headed to the Avengers facility up north," Kento said, "and we haven't been formally introduced Mr. Stark but you knew my buddy well. So I would appreciate it if stop talking to all of us like we don't know what's going on."

Tony frowned at Steve, "mouthy these ones are."

Steve rolled, "not the time Tony. How did you figure out how to run tech in this sort of situation."

"Rowen's final doctorate proposal he threw out," he smiled clapping his hands. "I always thought it was stupid but strangely brilliant, but I could never figure out why he was so interested in creating a generator that would run even through an EMF pulse if he wasn't interested in weapons tech. Thankfully, he decided to use that aerodynamic thing he'd been working on and he gave it to me."

Kento smiled, "that dumb ass knew you would pilfer it one day."

"Barrow is a better word for it," he said turning into the darkness, "well, come on now, the jet is already heated up."

Kayura hung back for a moment, because she could feel her chest grow tight as they walked on. Steve held out an arm for her, "you need to not push yourself anymore. I'm sure your comrades can handle whatever it is we're expecting at the base."

She laid her head on his shoulder as she walked with him, "why are such a boy scout at times like this?"

"I don't know what you mean?"

She just smiled and shook her head. She enjoyed the man's company more than anything at that moment and then she realized that her heart was skipping because of him and she turned her head down so he wouldn't see her blush.


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five

It had started to rain by the time they got there. A light early winter rain that made the air smell fresh and clean but it was still eerie to Steve. The base was as empty as the city was, and he looked at Tony who had some sort of blinking tracking device that looked like it was made from an old radio. Kay was sitting and taking deep breaths as Kento knelt in front of her, "you should listen to Cap and just stay here."

Tony looked back at her, "yeah, Miss Stabby."

She rolled her eyes over to Steve, she hated looking so weak even in front of the ronins but it didn't seem to matter to him. Even at the beginning, with all his bad experiences, he always seemed to trust her and let her make her own decisions. Kento noticed them catch each others eyes and then glanced at Sage who was already walking out of the jet. She shook her head, "no, I need to see this through."

Tony smiled, "will of a warrior it seems."

Kento rolled his eyes as he helped her up, she had over exerted herself tremendously instead of healing up. He knew the armors were able to save lives, and quicken healing, but it didn't help in instances where the bearer wasn't taking time to let herself be healed. He remember Ryo doing something equally as stupid just after the first defeat of Talpa. She held onto Kento as they walked along, Steve and Tony was far ahead with Sage. Kento looked at her and quietly said, "you like him."

She felt her skin grow hot, "is this really the appropriate time?"

"Now is better than never," he said, "remember what happened between me and Ro?"

"This is definitely not your menag e trois, Kongo," she replied curtly.

"No, but it could definitely get as complicated as that if you're just not honest with him."

"He's not interested in me Kento," she softly making sure Steve couldn't hear her. He was a world war two hero, celebrated for his mark on the world. She was the ancient one who had no attachments to this world. "We're from two different worlds."

"Fine, don't listen," he said as they saw smoke rising from building.

Tony grinned, "looks like they're throwing a party already."

They entered the base, and could smell the smoke but it was still dark without any of the lights working. Sage held up a hand and formed a bolt of lightning to light their way as Kento looked around and said, "you know, Hoshi never spoke much of her military days..."

Tony glanced back, "Rowen never mentioned that..."

"Rowen didn't like to think about the unpleasant things she might have done," Kento said abruptly. "Those terrible paintings of hers are not because she was just doctor who lost patients."

Sage looked down the halls, "she would have been a terrible doctor with her attitude anyways."

Kento shot him a look of disapproval, "I would appreciate you not talking about my wife like that."

Sage mocked him by making a squeaky sound and Steve said, "you really shouldn't mock your allies when you're the one who is deep trouble for being a traitor."

Kay smirked as she saw him get disgruntled. She wasn't against making Sage feel like a moron but she really wished Rowen was alive and there with thm. He had always been the smart one and she always found his intuition insightful. She smiled to herself as they walked through the creepy place. She was vaguely reminded of the endless hallways in the dynasty castle, and she trembled for a moment as she heard something scamper.

Her ribs were aflame as they walked, the base seemed so much bigger without the hustle and bustle of everything. Sage looked at her, "I could fix those right up."

She ignored him as they heard the scampering again. She backed up into Steve who put an arm around her shoulder as the creature lunged out of the dark. He threw his shield, and the creature vanished as it boomeranged back. She smiled at him, "you're getting used to this sort of thing."

"Not as bad as the Chitauri or Ultron," he replied back as they came into the broken hangar. He enjoyed the smile she gave him in response as they heard several more scampering sounds. "Stay close alright..."

She nodded, but didn't say anything. The orb burned in her pocket, like a million suns at once, and it took all of her will not put on the armor. Couldn't Sage and Kento feel it? The strange consciousness under it felt so familiar and fighting it was so hard. It made the injuries that she had been experiencing even more excruciating. It whispered in her ear with a breathless voice, it caressed the underside of her skin, and felt like a million daggers stabbing her in the belly. It took every piece of will she had to keep from bending over in pain.

Steve grabbed her to him and used his shield to protect her as several of the creatures dropped from the rafters. These ones were like bats with long fangs dripping with slobber. Sage and Kento summoned their armors instantly and made short work of the impending Nendo. Tony grabbed her hand and pulled her aside as several more swarmed the three. Kayura was blinded by Sage's lightning attack, and she shielded her eyes to see them standing victorious.

Kay felt it first though, a strange and familiar presence in the dark. She stood up and felt her chest grow tight, "Ryo..."

Sage looked at her as Tony helped her, "you should have stayed back, you're just slowing us down."

She ignored him as they heard the sound of boots in the dark and the three armed men took offensive poses but they dropped them as soon as they saw the auburn haired woman run out of the dark. She was still dressed in all black, but had several cuts on her face and arms. Simultaneously Kento and Sage called out 'Mia' while Steve and Tony said 'Maria'. She tumbled into kayura, who said, "soudessnue..."

She shoved away from her but she managed to regain herself momentarily before saying, "you're late."

"Better late than never," Tony smiled and she just scowled at him.

"Miss Hill, we have several questions before we go any further," Steve said as she dusted herself off as best she could.

She pulled her back into a bun as best she could without a mirror and then smiled at Kay, "It's good to see you and all but your presence has made my existence quite difficult, you know? I was strangely happy with my new life at S.H.I.E.L.D til you came blundering in."

"That was accidental, I assure you," she answered monotonously.

"I'm not so sure it was," she paused as she flicked her hair back. "See Rowen knew for a long time knew that I was here, I think that time he helped you out hacking the S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier was also benefiting his own suspicions. I never planned on taking of his until I saw you with that blasted vibranium dagger, I know what feels like the Inferno and I didn't want any part of it."

"Inferno," Tony said, "the 'Legend of the Five Armors' say its terrible demon."

"Terrible is how you translated it, Stark, that's putting it lightly," she mumbled, "see there are many forgotten places left in the cradle of the Earth besides Wakanda. The inferno armors were born deep with those forests. They fell from the heavens. If you translate the word in there, its Kikoutei, it means the sound of silence in the vacuum of endless space. Poetic don't you think?"

"So who are you really," asked Steve as he crossed his arms.

"Just a S.H.I.E.L.D agent despite my past," she said glancing at Sage who rolled his eyes. "I was once a mouse who stood in the shadows of great heroes who fell a great height from their victories. Who do you all think you are? Fighting among yourselves, you are no better than the war lords. But really, I was once just a teacher."

Kayura scowled, "oh great, thanks."

Kento grabbed the woman in a tight hug, which made tony frown at first but it seemed she was okay with it. He pulled back, "we thought that you were..."

"You know I'm too stubborn to die, Ken-chan," she said standing on tip toe and kissing his cheek with the sincerity a mother would have. It was strange before neither of them would have thought she could have been so tender, but the soft up turn on her lips made her look a lot like the woman in the photos rather than bossy lady who had a tendency to drive them nuts. It actually made Steve smile himself, but he noticed Kay's stoicness return. He found himself wondering what was going on in her head. "I've been trying to piece together where the other pieces could be, and realized someone was manipulating everyone into place."

There was a clapping sound from the dark and the group turned to look towards the sound as she flinched. From the darkness came a smile first and then a figure of small woman. She was strange to the two men who had never set their eyes upon the woman. Her hair was wild and some strange color but it was hard to discern in the dark of the hangar lit up by red light but it might have dark blue or purple with pink highlights but it was her eyes that glowed in the night and a smile ear to ear. She wore a dark hood and pants but there was a golden orb around her throat.

Kay mumbled, "Kannon."

"Oni-Senpai," the new woman said with enthusiasm, "Hisashiburidesunee! (Long time no see!)"

"Friend of yours," Tony said to Maria.

She ignored him, "Meep, no...you're Kunito."

"When did you suspect," she smiled and then looked at the two ronins, "or did you really think Ameno would resurrect me for his own good? The dead don't rise for anything."

Steve didn't remember this girl being mentioned at all, but he was sure that in Kayura's world, she must have been a small glimmer in their world not to mention her at all. Steve asked the most important question, "where is my team?"

She smiled ear to ear and he couldn't help be reminded of the cheshire cat as she waved a hand over the orb around her neck, which turned from gold to red and the room was filled with a deep red light. There was a swirling red portal among what none of them were expecting. There hangar was covered in a swarm of red creatures, who seemed to be hibernating. Their breathing seemed synchronized and creepily pulsed across the room. There was large glowing chrysalis like structure in the middle of the pulsing creatures, but Steve realized that between them there were several arms and appendages sticking out. Near the chrysalis, there was several people who laid strewn on the floor. She smiled, "the funny thing about humans, even extraordinary ones are still humans and fall asleep so well to the charm of the nether realm."

She raised a hand and Wanda and the Vision rose, there was a strange gold necklace around each of them and Kayura went pale, "you didn't."

"There are so many vengeful Yurei who are just looking for suitable bodies, how could I not," she smiled as she waved the hand in front of her necklace. "Be a dear, and get the pipe for me loves. By all means."

Tony grabbed Kay and Maria as Cap raised his shield and the two ronins summoned their armors. She crouched with them behind a car as the two possessed S.H.I.E.L.D agents looked up with red eyes. Tony hissed at her, "what's wrong with them?"

"Spirit possession," she said as Maria looked over as well.

Maria asked, "where's the staff?"

"I don't know, I told you it doesn't behave for me," she hissed at the woman. She could feel her armor in her pocket and held her head as she heard it whisper, "no...go away..."

"You stay here with her," Tony said handing Maria the pipe.

"What are you going to do," she hissed, "your armor doesn't work..."

Tony winked as he she saw light coming from the other side of the hangar, "you really think I wasn't going to apply Rowen's dopey tech for my own use?"

Kay blinked as metal pieces latched onto him until they formed the familiar armor that she had only seen in newspapers. The center piece in his chest lit up with a strange silver blue light as he fully powered up and rushed into join the battle. Maria rolled her eyes, "he was always a show off."

"Still working with armors, I see," Kayura scoffed as she held her ribs, they burned so badly. She could hear the battle going on behind her and glanced to see that the two possessed warriors keeping the four warriors on their toes. Meep smiled as she strolled between the fighting gods with ease, weapons missing her by milliseconds.

Maria growled, "we have to get out of here...now."

"Read my mind," Kay said as the woman grabbed her arm and they ran into the dark. "It was Ryo in the center of that thing, I know it."

"Yeah, well, we'll help him as soon as we help ourselves," she said as they ran, "unfortunately, I didn't think this sort of trouble would follow me here of all places."

Kayura ran behind her, despite her aching body, she was still able to run at incredible speeds. It was strange though, just after the return of the armor, she felt like she was all healed, but the longer she refused to put it on the more injured she felt. It was like an addiction.

Maria and her stopped down a hallway, she was huffing as Kay leaned against the wall holding her ribs, "why don't you just put Oni on?"

"No," she said firmly.

"I don't have time right now for you to be like Cye," she said grabbing her by the shirt, "I need the warlord of cruelty."

She shoved her off, "I don't want this burden, I don't care what sacrifice Anubis made. He was incredibly selfish and cruel man without the gift that Talpa gave him. I never had a choice."

"Here we go again," Maria said slapping her.

Kay held her cheek, "Koji-san...naze?"

Maria slammed her against the wall, "don't you see that Cap is willing to put his life on stake for you while you're feeling like you're unworthy of something destined? I don't have time for this bs, because every time one of you guys start feeling like an inferior, someone ends up hurt tremendously. You and I both have seen it."

Kay bit her lip and looked away from her, "I was never as strong as you..."

"That's correct," said a sticky sweet voice and the two jumped back as they looked at Meep. "You know what I find funny, no matter which universe I go to, Mia is always the one who talks sense into you all. She is always the last one standing too."

Kay and Maria stepped back from as she walked forward. The facade of the small woman began to fade but not into the other worlder that Kay was expecting but into a woman with silver hair and eyes as red as fire. She knew those eyes and she felt her chest grow tight, "Talpa..."

"You know my father then," she smiled as she ran a hand though her hair. "Well, not this version, but another..."

Maria slid the pipe into her back pocket, "you're related to that golden beast then."

"I see Rowen told you..."

"No, Hoshi did," she said as they stepped back.

The silver haired woman shook her head, "it took me a long time to find a convenient enough situation to bring myself into this world. You see, the universe I come from is long gone and this one is no where near close enough for me. I can fix mine, but only at the cost of yours."

"What is she talking about," Kay asked of the auburn haired woman.

"Haven't you always found it strange that inferno armors were never from the nether realm," Maria said with a pause, "Thor confirmed a theory that there were many universes attached to this one, but I knew the nether realm and the red realm were just a part of some undiscovered ones. However, Rowen theorized that the metal was not like that of Thor's hammer or like Vibranium, it had to be more and said that they came from another place far outside of ours or any attached to ours."

"Oh, yes, Strata was far too smart to be left alive," Kunito smiled, "I knew the small trickle of nendo would send him careening into madness to protect you all and create the monster I needed."

Kay stood in front of Maria who said, "you want the inferno armors."

"Ding ding ding," Kunito beamed but then flashed her sharp teeth, "how else do I cut my way to the pest who sleeps in the nether realm manipulating everything? Oh, well its of no consequence to kill one of you," she paused laughed, "there's still two other people perfectly capable of helping resurrect the armor."

Kunito grabbed the dark haired woman and threw her into the auburn haired soldier. They tumbled for several feet, and Kay felt her insides scream with pain as the armor boiled underneath her skin. Cruelty flashed on her forehead, and she heard a voice whisper, _"do what you must.''_

Kay clenched her fist and charged the woman who dodged her blows easily. Kunito grabbed her by the shorted hair and threw her into a wall with a large thunk, Maria pulled out her gun and the woman mocked, "please..."

The gun was jammed.

Kunito leaned over to her and yanked the pipe away, "like I said, you live in every universe but this Kayura has been a meddlesome pest equally."

Mia hit the ground hard and heard her leg crunch as Kunito turned to face the woman was trying to get on her feet. She grabbed her by the shirt again and whispered in her ear, "can I tell you a secret, I told Daddy dearest to save your life."

Kay kicked but the woman turned her around and bent her arm behind her back, she could feel a knife slide between her ribs just as a wall crashed through. "Kusunagi no Tsurugi!"

Kunito let her go with a smile, as she saw who walked through the smoke. The three warlords were clad in their subarmors along with Cye who was carrying the red haired Avenger on his back. There was also a silver haired woman carrying a golden sword which made Kunito smile, "just who I was expecting!"

Cye saw her helped Maria up after Widow jumped off. He asked, "who the hell is that?"

"Meep," Maria replied as she saw Widow try to use her gun to only find it jammed.

"I told you guns wouldn't work," Dais said smugly stepping forward. "Kay, you need to stop playing games. Summon Oni."

She smiled at him, "no can do old man."

"Oh, brother, stubborn as ever," Kale said rolling his eyes and then turning to Sekh, "too much time among the humans, I tell you."

"Would you stop gossiping and help your friend," Widow snapped.

"Oh, you like this one," Kunito said as she placed a nife to her throat and started walking backwards. "Perhaps, I won't kill her just yet. Either bring me the effigies, or I'll slaughter all your heroes until you do."

She vanished into the dark with her, and Maria growled. "We can't go back, if the effigies are brought back together..."

Cye looked at the warlords and Leah, "normally, I would agree but we can't just let her kill them."

"Always the softy," Dais said rolling his eyes.

"He's right though," Leah said with a smile and grabbing the effigies from Widow who scowled. "Look, let miss spy here take care of her boss, we'll take care of ours and perhaps get yours free too."

Cye looked to Widow, "unfortunately, you might not be much help in this."

"She definitely won't," Kale said walking forward with leah who had a smug smile. "But she might be able to find our boss in one piece."

Sekh snickered at the red head and said, "see you in little, red."

"Stop," Dais complained grabbing the snake man by the arm and dragged him along.

Cye hugged Maria, "be careful okay, I want to catch up."

Cye ran after the warlords and the woman with a golden sword. Widow helped walk along, "you have a lot of explaining to do."

Maria sighed as she limped along, "well, it was bound to happen sooner or later."


	27. Chapter 26

**Sort of compressed fight scene, not one hundred percent about it just yet but it works for now. May rewrite this chapter later, if you have any ideas on how to make this scene better please let me know.**

Chapter Twenty Six

Kay had blacked out from the building pain in her insides and she saw the silver haired women kneel down over her, "you know, you should really let your armor take control, you might not bleed to death..."

Kay opened her eyes and saw Steve laying next to her, she reached out but the woman smashed her hand wither her foot as she said, "what are you so scared of? That he'll see the real monster you are?"

Kay managed to sit up and saw the cocoon behind her, "I can't believe Ryo would ever help you."

"He isn't," she smiled, "but when has using an armor been about will?"

Kay looked around and saw that sage and Kento laid in heap without their armor, she saw Tony under a pile of Nendo and she could hear cursing. She held her bleeding side as the woman leaned over to the cocoon and placed the pipe in it, "I got the dragon earlier, the little brat and her uncle were formidable but they definitely weren't hardrock."

"You killed a child!"

"She was already dead the moment the effigy took hold," she replied, "you know, you're much more likable than the Kayura from my universe..."

"I'm confused."

"You see there's a god out there who holds power of all of the armors in all of the universes," she said as she scratched the nendo. "She ripped my universe apart to get to yours, and you call her the heart. When I got here, she had changed things to change fate, _to make things better._ How is that she gets to decide who lives in peace who is destroyed? It is my job to kill her, and the infernos will do just nicely. No wonder she created a weapon to get rid of them."

Kay looked at the blood on her side, "so what you'll destroy all of us to get your revenge?"

"Pretty much."

Kay shook her head as she slid over to Captain, "what did you do to him?"

"He's alright, he's just passed out is all," she paused as she the woman winced and pulled the man into her lap. "Oh, well, you are different from the Kayura who tormented me...you've got quite the soft spot for a warrior..."

"Why Ryo?"

"Do you care for him as well," she smiled with a mouth full of fangs. "Well, he's special you see? Benevolence, the most cherished of all bushido is the one when it fails is the most powerful sin. Its funny do you know that there are only eight bushido? Why is it that cruelty is always an armor among those eight virtues? Is your sin cowardice, love, or perhaps humility?"

Kay leaned over Steve, as the warlords burst through with Leah and Cye, "don't worry, I'll right this..."

Kunito grabbed Kayura by the hair and said to them, "do you really think that if Korin and Kongo couldn't defeat me, that you would?"

Kay saw Wanda and Vision rise up as the four as the sound of a repulsar overloading went off and Tony knocked the Nendo off of him. He held up his hand, "Lady, you messed with the wrong people."

She held summoned a knife to her throat, "she's precious to you, is she not?'

Leah glarred, "i knew Meep couldn't just miraculously be alive."

"A trade then, the Ogre and her team for the effigies?"

"No deal," Cye said summoning his armor. "I'm sorry Kay, but we can't let her do this..."

"Fine," Kunito laughed as she slid the knife rather delicately and let the woman fall next to captain. "It is of no consequence, I only need four living ronins."

Kay felt the cold blade slide across her neck like a hot knife through fat. She didn't even feel the ground as she was dropped next to steve but it was strange as she watched the two possessed Avengers fighting the five warriors with vigor. It seemed like a far away movie as she watched the woman fight her former allies and comrades alongside the single standing ronin and Avenger but it was strange, she found her thoughts drifting to Steve, not the battle but Steve. He was so strange, fighting for a cause that was hers but she couldn't even muster the courage to summon her armor. She just wanted to die, that's all she ever wanted.

" _That's the cowards way out you know."_

She looked up as her vision began to fade and she a strange golden light, ' _let me die...'_

" _I think that's a pretty pathetic way to go for a hand picked immortal, don't you,"_ said a woman as the light revealed a strange lion like creature. She touched the captains hair, _"I'm afraid he has to grieve for another woman. How sad."_

' _I am insignificant to him.'_

" _Do you really think so,"_ the beast said with a smile, _"would a man like him, fight for a cause that is not his own solely because it was here? What stopped him from just freeing his crew and leaving the rest to them? Do you believe in yourself that little that you think that your death would of no consequence to anyone?"_

 _'I am not anyone.'_

" _You aren't? You survived a thousands years of torture and being trapped inside of your own body, you were saved by the only other living relative of yours, and you learned to adapt to this world. He sees how strong you can be, and he sees your potential. Will you let down the one person who believes in you?"_

Kayura felt the light disappear and the cold spreading through her limps as the sounds of swords echoed in her ears. She reached out to Steve and felt his very warm hand and managed to whisper, "gomenasai, rogers-san..."

She closed her eyes.

 _Ko Rai Sei!_

She felt the pain in her belly ignite into a fire that engulfed every limb. She took a deep breath as she felt the wound close in neck. The fire in her bones and body was quenched by a strangely cool sensation on her skin. She pushed herself up as she saw the fallen warriors around her and she looked up at the woman who was placing the effigies into the chrysalis. Kunito looked back, "I thought I killed you."

"Ogres are hard to kill," she replied as the last effigy was placed inside.

The chrysalis opened and she saw Ryo step out wearing a silver armor, he was was tired looking man with dark hair and bright blue eyes clad in a silvery white armor. She could feel the heat off of him. Kunito smiled, "you should probably deal with that before dealing with me."

She vanished as she realized that the three ronins and dais were actually not among the downed warriors. She held her side as he walked out of the chrysalis, "Rekka no Ryo..."

He turned to her and raised a blade that she recognized as the Ferver, she realized if they fought in there everyone would end up dead. She summoned her kasari gama as he charged her, she blocked his sword with her blade. She threw the chain at the ceiling and jumped away as he jumped at her but she knew her armor was no match for the inferno. She cursed Rowen under her breath, "dammit Ro, didn't you know you were summoning the inferno? Damn modern scientists. First Stark with his Ultron, then you with this. Are all so called 'smart' people so dumb?"

She dodged each of his attacks, she knew it was fruitless to fight him in the ogre but she didn't think coming back from the dead was for naught. She swung the chain above her head "Ko Rai Sei!"

"Sen Ko Zan!"

She felt fire engulf her and she fell to the ground. She sat up, "Ryo! Don't let the Inferno control you!"

He pointed the blade at her and she felt the pain in her belly return. She clutched her stomach, shouldn't the pain have gone away when she summoned the Ogre. She panted as the Inferno pointed sword at her, and she could feel the armor stir. She held her stomach as she looked at her friends and comrades, she held up a hand as he dropped the sword. She was surprised she caught it, and could feel the strange consciousness under everything. She knew it what it was and grabbed her chain and sickle, "KOOO RAI SEI!"

She saw a million chains come every direction and grab him up. She jumped up and aimed her blade for his forehead, mentally she prayed, _"please work."_

She stopped the blade at his forehead as he broke free of his chains with sword, "Chu!"

The blade pierced her belly with a flaming head as the virtue for loyalty appeared on her forehead and the virtue for benevolence appeared on his. His glazed over eys lit up, "Kayura-san, dokodesuka?"

She smiled as the fire filled her stomach and her chains began to vanish as he realized what he did. He grabbed her as they fell from the hangar heights and held her as his armor vanished. As it did, the nendo began to disappear. He saw the virtue glowing gold in her forehead, and realized it wasn't the power of armor she had but the power of the ancients. Ryo passed out in her arms as the White Inferno vanished leaving the sword in her stomach.


	28. Chapter 27

Part Two

 **I'm breaking this up into two parts, so that there's a small pause in the action. Enjoy!**

Chapter Twenty Seven

Steve awoke to Kay yelling as she pulled the sword from her belly. He sat up and instantly and looked around despite every muscle aching. As he looked around, he noticed something completely strange: everything was completely normal looking. There was no damage, no Nendo, just agents scurrying to and fro and few medics by her looking utterly confused as her wound healed up. Where was everyone else? Where was Kunito?

However, the first thing he asked was, "Kay, are you alright?"

She smiled at him, her face was filled with color for the first time in the longest time. She helped him up, "did you sleep well?"

He rubbed the back of his head as she shooed off the agents, "I'm sorry..."

"For," she asked as she looked down at her tattered clothes. "You went up against two of your own, possessed by Yurei, that is not a feet I would expect any mortal to be able to handle well."

He hated when she sounded condescending, and crossed his arms, "Yeah...well.. are you alright?"

She held up the sword, "one of the swords of ferver, it cauterized the wound. Thankfully, he missed any organs when I snapped him out of possession of the white armor."

He looked over the blade that sheathed, she seemed concerned about something, but something else was nagging him, "why is everything normal..."

"I don't know, something about the Nether Realm makes all damage disappear," she said looking around. "But it doesn't make the injured uninjured or the bring the dead back to life."

"Wish Hulk and Thor had the ability," he replied under his breath, "where is everyone?"

"Fury threw Ryo and Sage in one of your prisons before going to chew out Maria, unsure where Cye and Kento wandered off to but I know for a fact the warlords disappeared before they were dragged into anything," she said as he started to walk back into the base. "I know Widow went to go help Wanda and Vision clear their minds, trust me Yurei can really fuck with you. Stark? Who knows."

The base door opened and Sam ran out, "Fury wants to see you, Cap."

"I figured he would," he told Sam.

Sam looked the woman over as they walked, she looked strangely delicate to him but having no memories of the last few hours left unable to judge a book by its cover. He asked, "you fought the guy in White mano a mano?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, "what you don't think I can beat one of my comrades because he's a man? How many times has Widow defeated you?"

He laughed and rubbed the back of his, "you make a good point, I'm afraid we haven't met yet although I did see the can of whoop ass you put on that big red beast. I'm Sam Wilson."

"Right, you're the man with wings," she said shaking his hand. "Kayura, you may call me Kay."

"Your boss is up by the way, she wants to speak with you before she goes to speak with Fury," he said as they approached an office. Steve motioned for her to go on ahead and she nodded as she waved ever so slightly.

Sam asked after Steve left, "you and him are pretty chummy."

"Yes, well he was more than helpful after I almost died because of Sage," she said sliding the sword over shoulder. "Thank you for saving my boss by the way. She's a handful, but she's all I have for a leader at the moment."

"Ha, sounds like Fury," he smirked and she realized she found him rather pleasant. "Her Lieutenant was actually at my boot camp, he spoke highly of her."

"I don't know much about her life in the military," she replied honestly, "but honestly if its anything like you all went through, then it makes me honor her even more."

"Widow said you were an ancient Samurai, is it true?"

"She over simplifies," she laughed, "samurai no, but ancient yes. I am …."

What was she?

Warlord?

Ancient?

She didn't know but she replied, "I am Kayura the Ogre."

"You don't look like an Ogre," he said obviously. "And I've seen what Thor fights..."

"Just a name I assure you," she said light heartedly. "Please, understand that Sage and Ryo are only imprisoned because they let you. Their good hearts weigh heavy with their sins."

"You're rather poetic," he said as he saw her eyes grow dark. "You know, Cap must think you're pretty cool if helped you out that much."

"He is a gentlemen is all."

Sam stopped to look at her with a raised eyebrow, "you really are a girl from a different time."

"Yes, well, I don't if that's a compliment or not," she said as he opened a door to the medical ward for her to enter. "How are Wanda and Vision?"

"Wanda is really shook up so Vision is helping her cope," he said, "she touched that mighty mouse before she took over the base and it threw her for a loop."

"Might Mouse? Oh, right Kunito," she replied with a frown. "May I visit her later?"

"I think she would like that," he said with a smile as they walked into the room. Rhodes was sitting with the small white haired woman, both were laughing about something.

Sam asked, "you know each other?"

Rhodes said, "she stitched me up in the early days."

"I saw you on the news when Tony officially announced he was Iron Man, and I said, 'that dolt'."

"And what would you have done?"

"Not that," she teased from her bed. She seemed oddly chipper but Kayura had known Hoshi to remain quite chipper even in the worst of times. "Rhodes, Mr. Wilson, may I speak with my associate alone please?"

Sam nodded as Rhodes gave the small woman a quick hug before leaving. Kay sat next to her bed, "I apologize, I failed."

Hoshi shook her head, "you succeeded where I failed, honestly. I thought it was just a simple matter of stolen tech. I had a suspicion that Rowen was trying to keep up with Tony but alas it was more than that."

"Rowen tried to do right by everyone," she said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"I am alright," she said. "Just a bit tired, I had to use the Owari. It drains me when I do."

Kay handed her the Ferver, "please, my Queen, this is better under your watch than mine."

Hoshi shook her head, "no, hold onto it for now. I think it might be a better use to you. Only one blade?"

"Yes, I don't understand that myself," Kay said holding it close.

Hoshi looked like she was contemplating something deep for a moment, "Raleigh recreated the armors, I knew that much but I didn't understand why. That's why I was paying her visit, when the plane went down. Fury has agreed to let me stay until I regain my energy, but It won't be for a while. Junko and Seito are still missing. The warlords have already set out with Leah, but I don't trust those knuckle heads. Will you go with Kento and Cye to look for them?"

"Anything my Queen."

Hoshi smiled wearily, there were dark circles under here eyes, "I am sorry to put you in that situation before. I should have known that anything with Stark involved would be bad news."

The door opened at that moment and he grinned, "oh, is it now?"

"Oh, brother," Hoshi complained rubbing her forehead. "What do you want Stark?"

"I came to offer my condolences," he tried to say but her severe look cut him short.

"Kay, please, Kento and Cye are waiting," Hoshi said and the woman understood it was her time to take her leave.

Kayura said to Tony on her way out, "please, take no offense but she doesn't like you."

"You needed to make that obvious," he mumbled as she left the room.

She saw Wanda waiting for her across the hall and she smiled at the dark haired woman who looked so tired. Vision came down the hall, "you should rest, Wanda."

"No, not until I've warned her," she hissed angrily at the man.

"Warn me of what," asked Kay. Trusting an oracle was tricky business to be sure.

Vision shrugged and Wanda said, "are you sure that's your boss?"

"Sure as the sword that almost cut me open," Kay said glancing back at the blade on her back. She could feel the Oni in her pocket stir when she talked. Wanda seemed so wary.

"I mean," she paused, "who's the man with six swords?"

Vision saw the small women turn pale, not once had he seen the small woman frightened. Whatever, Wanda had said, must have been truly terrible. Kay asked, "that's Talpa. How did you see him? You saw him in my past but that should have been it."

"Yes, but he's in the here and now," she said glancing at the door where Hoshi was. "I don't know how, but he's attached to her."

Kayura looked back, "there was always that risk when waking the Owari early that his consciousness could still be in it but she's had control since the very beginning."

"Look, please just be careful, whatever you're doing because I have seen what that man has done and what turmoil is going inside of her, I just want you to be careful," she said earnestly and then hugging her.

Kay just hugged her back, "keep an eye on her for me?"

"If you're done making friends, we could really use our Ogre about now," said a soft british voice.

Kayura turned and saw Cye waiting with crossed arms, "That's my cue to go."

Wanda watched her leave with young british man and Vision asked, "is that a good idea to let her go?"

She looked up at him, "I don't know if I trust any of the others but I do trust her to do what is right."

Vision nodded quietly.


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Eight

Cye looked at the blade on her back as they walked, "only one Ferver?"

"Don't ask me," she replied as they walked. "Have you talked to Ryo?"

He remembered the small crush she had on him a few years ago, "he's alright. It wasn't his fault though, but I agree he should be locked up for now. He's a danger to himself and to us while the inferno sits inside of him."

Kayura scowled at him, "he's a danger to everyone."

"What happened between you two?"

He saw her blush for the first time, "you didn't, you know, did you?"

"What? No," she said turning scarlet knowing what he was insinuating. "After Mia left, he was super low and I confessed my feelings for him but...he never reciprocated them."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh," she replied. "He was too in love with Mia to let her go."

"More like obsessed," he said softly as they headed towards the hangar. "So, 'Maria' talked to Fury a while and she's going to accompany us to look for the twins."

"Splendid," she responded unenthusiastically as they headed towards the a different quinn jet than the one Tony had rigged.

The ramp opened up and she Steve walking towards her and Cye saidd, "oh, yeah, he's coming too."

Steve was wearing his complete uniform now, she hadn't seen him in before but he looked amazing in it. The demure blues with a red and white striped stomach and a silvery star on his chest. He looked so heroic. She smiled, "well, I guess you get to help me find the brats."

"Fury wanted me to make sure that Maria was alright," he said with a smile. "Looks like the armor is keeping you on your feet."

She touched her stomach both stab wounds healed completely, there wasn't even a scar on her throat for that matter, and she could feel the familiar energy coursing in her veins. It wasn't really noticeable until that moment but she didn't let it show that she hadn't noticed it. She was good at not letting things show, "yes, well it'll take more than a sword to put me under."

"That's good to hear..."

Kento leaned down the ramp, "well, if you two are done making up can we get this show on the road?"

Kayura scowled, "you know, you're more irritating than Sekh is at times!"

He gave a thumbs up, "glad to hear it."

Steve just quietly smirked as he walked up the ramp with her to greet the two men and Maria who was in the pilot's seat. She was dressed in her uniform again and there was a change of clothes next to her, "you should get dressed before we go anywhere, Kayura-sama. I know fatigues are probably not your style, but better than wearing ripped up clothing."

Kay nodded and took the clothes to private part of the jet as Maria closed the ramp. Cye smiled as he sat next to her seat, "I remember the days when we had to rely on Kento's lottery money to go anywhere."

Kento frowned, "yeah and you all used it up."

Maria looked back at Steve, "just do me a favor Captain, don't let them talk you into their idiotic plans. They may look intelligent but this one is like banner minus the brilliance and Kento is a minihulk."

"I take offense to that," Cye complained.

"There ain't nothing mini about me," Kento added on.

Steve smiled to himself, it was was nice to see Maria bantering with the two men in much the same way that he would have with the Avengers. Kayura walked back in wearing camo pants and a black button up shirt with some military boots. She slid the sword through her belt and she looked some sort of modern samurai. Kento laughed, "camo looks good on you."

"Shut it, Kongo," she replied as she sat down across from them. "I'm glad for the company, but may I ask why you have to come along?"

Steve didn't like the tone of her voice, but it was Maria who said, "it was a favor to me actually. As much as I believe in Cye, Kento, and yourself, I needed someone who couldn't be manipulated by the Nether Realm and could keep up. Cap fit the bill."

"Oh," she replied and stood up to go the end of the plane as Maria started up the engines and started to steer the plane out of the bunker.

Kento shook his head, "don't mind her. It's not you, the ogre is a hard armor to handle."

"No, I don't think that's it," Steve said getting up to go talk to her. He would rather figure out what was bothering her than let someone else tell him what was wrong. The plane was in the air, and he wanted to make sure he was on the same page with her.

She looked up at him with her dark blue eyes, "don't come patronize me."

He ignored her comment and asked, "what's wrong?"

She pursed her lips and then said, "I apologize, I'm just on edge. The warlords left with Leah, and I don't trust her anymore than I trust Kunito. Hiding among us all along."

"So who was this Meep?"

"She was what we called an other worlder,"

"So, an alien?"

"I suppose," she laughed. "Yes, now that you put it that way, that's exactly what other worlders are. Although, I've only seen a few."

"I didn't have a chance to see your armor," he said trying to make conversation.

She looked at the sword, "I wouldn't be too heartbroken by it. You'll have another opportunity if you decide to stick around us a while."

"I have to keep an eye on Fury's favorite second," he said looking back at the woman who was quickly getting irritated by the two old friends. "Looks like she gets along with them pretty well."

"Kongo and Suiko were best friends," she said with a smile. "It's nice to see them that way again. I need some time to contemplate, may I?"

He nodded, and went to sit next to Maria who said to him as she gently maneuvered the controls. She looked at him, "I'm sorry I dragged you into this."

"No, I just wish you had been honest."

"Oh, yeah, like that would have gone over well," she snorted then mocked, "hey, guys, do you wanna know a secret? I was a former college mythology professor who got dragged into a ancient war between evil demons and magical samurai. One of them had kind of a creepy obsession with me and might try kill me, or worse yet? There's still an angry god out there who might try and open the gates to the nether realm and destroy everything. Fury knew, that's all who needed to know."

He knew she was being sarcastic but he found it highly unnecessary, "and he couldn't tell us?"

"I don't think he realized it was that severe but I should have been more clear when I said that anything involving the nether realm is trouble," she said flipping switches above her head and adjusted her headphones. "If anyone will guide you through the nether realm unharmed it will Kayura, I'm glad you trust her over these bafoons."

Cye complained, "resorting to name calling now?"

"You heard me," she replied.

Kento chuckled, "she's just mad that she can't play super spy with us and scare us."

"I don't need to be a super spy to scare you all, never did," she said with a smile. "After all, who is the one here trained in munitions?"

Kento laughed, "what's the saying about sticks?"

"Seriously," Cye sighed, "you mean 'walk softly and carry a big stick'?"

"No, I don't think that's right."

Steve couldn't help but laugh and Maria scowled at him which made him just smile and not say a word. She looked back at Kento, "you're sure that Junko and Seito are at these coordinates?"

"I know its strange, and I can't imagine why but that's where their last messages to me were from," he said looking down at his cell phone. "Tanzania."

Steve asked, "what's in Tanzania?"

"That's where this inferno mess all started," Maria said, "years ago, before the warlords returned. A man named Mukala challenged Ryo to a duel in Tokyo. He was the bearer of something known as the black inferno."

"So there's two of those things," Steve asked.

Cye nodded, "that's exactly what I thought. One is a Nuke, two is Armageddon."

"My only concern now is one is back in existence, doesn't that mean that the second one is reborn," Maria asked out loud and Steve saw the two men grow a little pale.

Kento shook his head, "lets hope not, I don't want to have fight Mukala again. That guy whooped all of us in our armors without any armor, so I can't say that I want that again, considering we're three down."

"I thought we through this, aren't you supposed to be the optimist," Cye smiled and then glanced back at Kay who was meditating. "We also didn't have Kay with us that time. She's a heavy hitter even without armor. I'm sure you know that Captain."

"You can just call me, Steve," he responded with a slight nod. He did know she was a heavy hitter but putting on the armor made her seem different. She seemed more sure of herself, less afraid, and very curt. He sat back in the copilot seat as the two ronins bickered on and Kay meditated in the back.

Maria looked at him as the two ronins started bickering, "that's their way catching up unfortunately? Feel free to rest. I'm sure you've had a less sleep than the rest of us."

He leaned over on his hand and nodded, "Maria, are you sure Fury didn't make you second because the Avengers are just as looney?"

She smiled but only thought, 'you are more alike than I really like.'


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty Nine

Hoshi had never liked Stark from the day Rowen left Japan to go to MIT. She completely supported his endeavor to get another masters degree but his roomie was low and behold Stark. Stark was a bad influence plus she had two kids with Kento working, her hands were full. When Stark got famous and started inviting Robro to all of his parties, she started drawing a line. The man didn't care for Rowen, he just wanted someone to keep up with him. After he became Ironman their friendship kind of waned unless he needed a favor. She went to a couple parties and he bought some of artwork, but she was never friends with him herself. She smirked at remembering the time Kayura hit him for touching her ass and then preceded to beat up Happy.

He had flowers in his hand, "I came to offer my condolences."

"That's a first, I thought you just wrote checks," she replied with a fake smile.

"Geez, you really don't like me," he replied gruffly.

"No offense, you've gotten Rowen in more trouble than helped him out of," she replied as he sat down next to her. "I wasn't sure this wasn't one of those instances."

"It was definitely him in more trouble than I was." She rolled her eyes as he placed the flowers next to her, "look, despite everything, he was a pretty good bud. Probably a lot better friend to me than I was to him. I just wanted to show you something..."

She watched him pull out a tablet and Seiza asked her, 'what's the god of machines up to?'

'Darned if I know,' she replied.

He turned on a video and it looked like a video letter from Rowen, "are you bloody insane, Tony? You took an armed nuclear war head into a worm hole without any evidence you would come back through when you were fighting aliens? I don't know about you, but that sounds a bit like gambling and as far I'm concerned your crazy. You and all your weird new friends. All Crazy! Anyways, I'm glad you're okay, but you do anything like that again and so help me I'll hunt you down."

He saw tears in her eyes as she took the tablet, "I remember him saying he was going to send you a nasty letter. I never saw it though."

"Maybe you can tell me something then, its been really nagging me."

She tilted her head as she looked up at him, she could see his weariness and anger. He really did care about him perhaps in his own twisted ego maniacal way, "yes?"

"Who gave Rowen back his armor?"

She shook her head as she thought about the events. She ha felt the armors moving and appearing slowly, why hadn't she felt Rowen's? Then she realized that the plane going down was to distract her from those feelings. She looked at him, "I'm guessing you got Kay to tell you all about our past huh?"

He nodded.

"I don't know, honestly, the plane was going down because of Nendo," she paused, "I was too distracted to feel the armors and their powers."

He frowned, "I have an idea, why don't we go chat with our two guests?"

"I'm not exactly in any shape to walk, trust me, my armor drains everything. I can't feel my legs at the moment..."

He smirked and said, "I could carry you."

"You what?"

"I could carry you."

She shook her head, "hell no."

"Don't you want to find out though?"

She glared at him, "you even so much as touch me inappropriately I will not be afraid to use my armor on you."

"Yeah, yeah," he said ignoring her threat and scooping her out of bed. She weighed hardly anything and he really wanted to see what she could do in an armor. Oh, he even missed Kayura in hers even though she was the one who pretty much saved the day. He couldn't help but think there was some sort of irony in the people who were chosen by these ancient things. He looked at the disgruntled artist, "you know that painting I bought sold for three times at auction because Loki touched it."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "so is it famous because of me or because of him?"

"Both I suppose."

She complained the entire way as Tony carried her, she hated feeling weak and Seiza bitching at her in the back of her mind didn't help either. Seiza asked, 'he's a strange human indeed.'

'Strange doesn't even begin to cover what he is,' she replied to the spirit. Only the ronins knew about her little room mate in her head, and she intended on keeping it that way. The last two decades were peaceful for the most part, and she felt lulled by the false peace. She should have been more aware. She should have been a better 'queen'. She still wasn't sure that's what she was.

"So what do you think of Kay and Cap?"

She frowned at him, "of what, now?"

He grinned ear to ear and she regretted asking, "your little ogre and our super soldier."

"She's not a little ogre, she's a can of whoop ass," she paused to think, even though Seiza seemed in awkward silence. "And what do you mean?"

"Seems like they have an awkward crush on each other."

"Kay doesn't do romance," she said softly as she thought about Ryo.

"I don't know, she seems pretty fond of him."

"He saved her life didn't he?"

"More or less."

"Most people are fond of their saviors," she replied.

"Well, he's fond of her," he smirked. "Been a long time since he seems so frustrated by a woman."

"How long is long?"

"Sixty years?"

"That is a while."

"Exactly," he paused, "do you approve then?"

"Why would I need to approve?"

"I mean isn't that how it works, since she's honor bound to you," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"I mean I don't not approve," she paused realizing her terrible grammar, "I just think you overthinking him being a gentlemen. I was at that party, nicest guy you had there besides ...what was his name...Bruce."

"So if he asked her out and she said yes...then..."

"Don't meddle in love lives Tony when yours is shit to begin with."

"Ouch, you have some teeth, Kitty," he laughed and she rolled her eyes as they came to the cells.

Sage and Ryo hadn't changed much since she last seen them other than the expressions in their faces and eyes. Sage looked so weary and quietly sat his face in his knees. If anyone was Rowen's best friend it was Sage. She didn't blame him for what he did after she heard Maria's side of things but she didn't like that they went behind her back either. Ryo on the other hand looked haggard and gaunt, and probably weighed less than he did when she first met him. He sat with his back against his cell, his clothes were baggy but clean, and dark circles wrested underneath his vibrant blue eyes. She saw Sage turn his head to her but she had nothing to say to him, she knew he knew little about her kids if she believed everything Maria told her to be true.

Ryo looked at her, she could see the fire behind his eyes that was anger as Tony pulled a chair over to sit her down. He looked at her, "the Owari fucks you over too then. I'm glad to see your power isn't limitless."

Tony quietly waited for a reply from her and she said as she folded her hands, "no one persons power is, Rekka."

He laughed, "I'm also glad you see your own weakness, too bad you failed at seeing Rowen's."

Sage slammed his hand against the cell wall, "you say that again and I will cut you in half."

"It's important that Kunito wants us dead, I really doubt you would do that," he said back with a smile and then said to Hoshi. "I bet you can why?"

She frowned, "because Kay won't open the Nether Realm."

"You betcha," he laughed.

Tony looked at her, "what?"

"When I defeated Ameno in the last battle..." She paused as Ryo laughed at her statement, "she sealed the doors to the Nether Realm so tight, no one but her could open it. Not me, not Blaze, not the White Inferno."

"Why?"

"Kay knew what we all felt..."

"Doki Doki, Doki Doki," Ryo said tapping on the plex iglass in a rhythmic pace of heart beating. "I still hear it you know!"

"There's something called the 'Heart of the Armors'," she paused, "Its where the source of all of our power comes from. The creatures we encountered were both terrified and in reverence of it but no one knew what it was. Both Ryo and Kay felt it more than any of us..."

"Because you were all impure," he laughed. "We were chosen to bare the armors no one else could handle and fight battles that were destined."

"What freaked Kay out so much," asked Tony.

"She wouldn't tell me."

"Because she saw its face," Ryo smiled, "but she wouldn't tell me either. So I don't know."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"Don't you get it, Mr. Genius Playboy Billionaire Philanthropist, Kunito wants the Inferno to cut into the next realm but she needs to go to the Nether Realm to do that," he paused, "there are five gates to open, one already has its sacrifice."

"The door," he said to Hoshi.

"Kay showed it to you?"

He nodded.

Hoshi frowned at Ryo, "are you willing to help us?"

"I'm a bit tied up at the moment," he laughed and his laughter continued which made Hoshi sigh.

Sage came up to his glass, "Hoshi, you know you need me."

"Do I," she said with a frown and Tony saw her eyes grow dark, "nazedesuka, Korin-san? (Why, Halo?)"

"Anata no bushō ga futatabi ofu ni jikkō shite ori, hokanohito ga anata no kodomo o mitsukeyou to shite imasu. Watashi wa jissai ni kikai no kami ga anata e no jūyōna tasuke ni naru koto ga dekimasu utagaimasu. (Your warlords have run off again, and the others are trying to find your children. I really doubt the God of Machines can be of any significant help to you,)" he said and Hoshi could see Tony's face twist into disapproval. The man could speak several different languages fluently, despite all of his many major flaws, he was actually extremely intelligent.

She scowled at him, "Watashi wa hangyaku-zai no tame ni anata o jikkō shinai yō ni dake kōshō wa arimasu ka? (Are you just bargaining so I don't execute you for treason?)"

"Tabun de? (Maybe?)"

She cursed, "Kuso..."

Tony interrupted, "how about you have some manners and try not to bargain with the woman whose husband you killed, no matter how good the reason is, you still killed him."

Sage turned his lavender eyes away but he heard him say, "you were destined to be drawn into our world the moment you donned the mechanical demon of yours. An armor is armor, but yours has no conscious."

"Can we go," Hoshi asked him with weary blue eyes.

He scooped her up and started to walk out with the small women who seemed more troubled now than ever. Sage called on their way, "it wasn't Raleigh who gave me and Ro our armors back, an old friend of ours stopped by. I sure missed Yuli."

She saw Ryo stir and glance back at Sage.

She looked at tony, "I'm going to need your help with something else, Stark."


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Steve woke up to a commotion of Maria cursing, she saw him stir, "we have a problem, Captain Rogers."

He was ready to get up and grab his S.H.I.E.L.D but there was not turbulence or anything. She looked back, the other two men were asleep and Kay was still meditating. He glanced back and asked, "what's wrong?"

"Tanzania has declared emergency no fly zone," she said to him quietly. "Our fuel is low, we have to land in Wakanda."

"I don't see the problem."

"One us is branded a thief remember?"

He looked back and saw Kay who was walking past the sleeping men, he remembered the the burn on her arm as she thumbed it softly. She leaned over the chair where he was sitting, "look, last time I was there, there was a debacle that caused me to be noticed. I'm sure as long as we're in an out, there won't be a problem."

"Debacle," maria asked.

Kay sighed and rubbed her brow, "Kale tried to challenge the king of Wakanda..."

Maria pinched her nose, "you really need to reign them in."

"Not my job, that was Anubis, they don't listen to me frankly," she replied quickly and Maria nodded but her sensor's went off.

"Something has a lock on us," she said clicking through the screens.

Steve got up and grabbed his shield, and it magnetized to his back just as something hit the ship, shaking it. Kay could feel something strange, "that's not a plane..."

Kento and Cye snapped awake as ship shook violently again, and Maria yelled, "don't you dare put your armor on unless we go down!"

Cye felt it shake again, "what in sam's hell?"

Kay felt her stomach churn and her ribs lit up on flames, her head felt light and she lost her balance with the next shake. Kento caught her, "not the time, Kay."

The jet was hit hard and the four were thrown to the side of the jet. Maria yelled, "hang on..."

Steve came to the cockpit as she righted the plane and saw a storm brewing, "that wasn't there..."

Another bolt hit the plane and Kento said, "time to bail, Mia!"

She fought with the controls but Steve could see they were going down, he slammed his hand on the hatch opening and grabbed her from her seat. Cye and Kento had their subarmors on as they followed after him. Kay saw a figure in the storm below as she felt blackness take her as she saw black bolts coursed towards the falling warriors.

Steve tried to shield Maria with his shield as they fell, bouncing the lightning away. There was a deep long river beneath him, "aim for the water!"

A bolt hit Cye knocking Kay from his arms, Kento was sinking the furthest down and Maria said, "throw me to Kento, he's a good catch. Even with the water, we're going to need Cye to cushion our fall. You grab Kay!"

He nodded as he did his best to throw her as Cye donned his full armor in the a bright light. Steve dove for Kay, grabbing her as the ground quickly approached. He looked over, "grounds getting real close!"

"Still going to be a bumpy ride, kids," Cye said summoning his trident. "Cho Ryu Ha!"

Another bolt of lightning started striking towards them just as wave of water hit them. There was a long splash but Steve held firm and til he breathed air. He pulled her up but didn't see the other three as he dragged her onto the sand bar. He leaned over to see if she was breathing and then laid back next to for a moment. He got up and knelt down next to her, she was burning up. What was making her so ill still?

He took a deep breath, the others couldn't have gone too far down stream. He picked her and threw her over his shoulder, with his shield it was the best he could do. He had to be able to fight if necessary. He noticed the air was thick and humid as he walked up the bank, but kept feeling like he was being watched as he walked.

It was dusk before he decided to rest and deciding that staying in place might be a better option for the evening. He wasn't versed on threats in Africa, but he was certain that being in a jungle, the night would produce any amounts of unknown threats.

He sat down as the night began to turn frigid and he saw a pair of glowing eyes in the night. He didn't dare make a fire for risk of being found by their attackers. He kept Kay close as he heard the laughing and snickering from the forest. He knew of hyenas, never had he seen one outside of a zoo. It slunk out of the forest and Steve grabbed his shield, where there was one there would be many. He saw it jump out behind him and he threw his shield, it bounced off the creature back into his hands as another tried to grab Kay. He spent several moments bouncing them back, one grabbed his ankle bit hard and shook. Another jumped at, but there was a large roar, and he saw white flash. There was whimpering and sad cackling as the hyenas skimpered off and Steve got a good look at the beast who save them.

It was a great white tiger, bigger than any he had ever seen, with eyes as dark as night. At first, it took him a moment to realize it was a tiger in Africa but the beast turned to him. He grabbed his shield but the beast lowered itself on its fore paws and turned its eyes down. He asked, "you smart aren't you?"

The beast stood up strong and proud and came over to Steve, sniffing him over. Steve could feel a lump in his throat, after all, it was a tiger but the beast rubbed against his leg some sort of over grown house cat then sniffed at the wound on his leg. The beast licked it softly and then looked at Kayura and trotted over to her. Steve noted she was shivering and the tiger wrapped itself around her and her eyes fluttered open, "Blaze-san desuka?"

The tiger chuffed in her ear and licked her face as Steve came over, "Kay..."

She managed to sit up, but she looked haggard, "I don't know what's wrong, Steve."

"It's alright, is he a friend of yours?"

She scratched the beasts head, "yes."

"Does he know where we should be heading?"

She nodded, "Steve, go back. Things won't fair well for you..."

"I told you I can't do that once before when you said that," he said sitting down next to her and she leaned over onto him. She was burning up, he could feel the heat from her skin. White Blaze licked her forehead again and she scratched his chin as the big cat stood up and circled them to get a better position to support both of them. The beast was large enough that he could settle down against it with Kay and lay his head back comfortably. The beast was incredibly warm and he felt him self dozing before long with Kayura in his arms. Despite being in the middle of the forest and slumped up against a beast who could easily slaughter both of them, he felt rather okay.

His eyes fluttered open and he Kay nestled closely.

She looked so pretty under the moon light.

He gulped, he wanted to hold her like that forever.


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty One Steve woke when Kayura groaned in pain. He snapped awake and he felt her forehead, she was burning up. He sat up, the morning was breaking and he could see that the tiger was gone. He sat up and he could feel his leg was quite stiff as well. He sat up and she groaned again, he saw the tiger come out of the forest with a large rodent in its mouth. The beast tossed it up and swallowed it up, then trotted over to them. He hadn't thought about it too much, but the beast seemed far too brilliant for a normal animal. The tiger nuzzled her with concern and looked at Steve with intelligent eyes, and Steve asked, "she's not well..." The tiger blinked slowly as if to tell him he understood but Steve felt ridiculous. "Do you know where the closest village is?" The beast looked over towards the rising sun. "That way," he asked as he tried to scoop her up but his ankle gave out. The tiger nuzzled the bite and Steve winced. The tiger gently grabbed Kayura by her shirt and threw her on his back. He started trotting towards the sunrise and then stopped to pause and look at him as if he was saying, 'well, are you coming?' Steve felt even more ridiculous walking after the beast. Steve felt his leg tighten as they walked, the beast stopping periodically looking at him with concern. The banks of the river started to get higher and higher until the river became a canyon. They came upon a a set of boulders, the tiger climbing them with ease, Steve lagging but managing to reach the top. There was a strange cave they entered and he saw art on the walls as they walked through. The cave was deep and he stopped, "you're leading us nowhere, cat." The tiger looked back and ignored him. Steve sighed, "there's nothing in this cave." The tiger kept on walking. Steve sat down, his ankle was throbbing, "fine, but I told you." He heard the tiger splashing through some of the cave as he took a look at his leg, it was swollen and red. He was sure he would be fine, but it was definitely an inconvenience. He called out, "hey, cat, where are you?" It was quiet. Steve sighed and stood up to go look for the beast. After all, it did have Kayura on its back an last thing he wanted was Kay turning into tiger jerky. He walked deep into the dark cave and saw some strange artwork on the walls, several of the marks looked familiar but his concern was elsewhere. He kept walking deeper and saw the rocks and the cave became crystalline. He reached out to touch one, they glowed in the dark but he saw something move in them and decided not to touch. "Hey, cat," Steve called, he knew the beast had a name but he couldn't remember it. He heard a soft growl ahead and he hurried up to see the beast pushing against a large rock, it looked back at him and growled. Steve could feel a soft breeze and realized it was exit. The beast looked at him with almost a smile and he sighed, "you are a strange animal." Steve pushing the large rock and he felt his ankle burn but he wasn't going to let it stop them from reaching a village that could help Kay. He put his shoulder into it and he felt it budge and soon there was light. He fell to his knees to take a deep breath as the beast came next to him. He looked up and there was a strange forest, the trees didn't seem right and the air felt cool and less humid. His mouth was dry from the heat but he was sure the cat knew where he was going. The tiger bounded forward in excitement. Steve wiped his brow and started to follow after the cat. The forest was dense but unlike the other forest, this place seemed rather peaceful and less threatening than river bank they were at. He wondered if the beast was from here, it would make more sense than the normal wild creature. They came to a clearing and Steve saw movement in the forest, he grabbed his shield from the back as the spear came flying in and he bounced it away. He said to the cat, "get Kay somewhere safe!" The beast slunk back as he saw the assailants move in with their spears, they circled him and he could see they wore tribal clothing. "Wait, don't hurt him!" Steve saw a woman in her forties push her way through the forest and past the armed men, she had deep navy hair which was braided intricately and mysterious blue eyes. She wore a beautiful patterned tapestry and he asked, "who are you?" "My name is Nadia," she said as the white tiger slunk back with Kay still on his back. She looked at the cat who chuffed and said as if she understood him, "I see...I apologize. We've haven't been getting along with Wakanda as of late, and the Vibranium you carry creates a disturbance here. If you want to help your friend, you have to leave your shield here or stay back." Steve didn't like those options but darned if he was going to let Kay go alone with a tiger and unknown set of people, "alright then." "I'm glad to see you are reasonable," she smiled as he took off his shield and handed it to her. She broke a tip off of a spear and stabbed it into a tree to hang it on, "no one comes here beside people like her and our own people, I promise you it will be fine." Steve nodded, "you know who she is then..." "She stirs the crystals more than the vibranium does, yes, I know of what she is and you are not," she said as she waved a hand to dismiss the men. "Come the village is not far, and you will be able to eat and rest." The tiger looked up at him as if saying, 'and you didn't trust me?' Steve followed after the woman with the tiger and Kay by his side, "have you seen others?" "You mean the three who have been here before?" "Yes, I suppose," he said. "They came to the village last night," she said looking at him. "They were rather concerned but they seemed confident that you could take care of _her._ There was an incident last night, and they went to go check it out for us." "That storm..." "That was no storm," she said quietly but not elaborating on the situation. "I did not realize your iconic shield was made from metal from Wakanda." He asked, "it seems like its very important as of late." "It does many things but it also upsets the balance here," she said vaguely. "They do not appreciate us banning them from coming within our territory. We have never had a peaceful alliance with them." "Is it those crystals," he asked. "You saw it then," she asked with a raised eyebrow. "Dear me, its as I thought. Your friend might be in more trouble than you realize then." "What's wrong with her?" "When the ronins came here the first time, they were plagued with an illness for denying their armors will to fight," she paused, "Kento and Cye seemed unharmed by it how but the others..." "Others?" "There are a few others here," she paused, "Kento called them warlords. They are afflicted by the same thing." They came upon a tree with strange colored fruit and she smiled as she walked towards it, there was a strange shimmer and she vanished. White Blaze looked up at him and then he followed as he walked with them through the shimmer and he saw a great village appear. Nadia smiled at him, "like I said, Wakandan's don't like us very much, so we try our best to keep hidden." There were several villagers who came over immediately, Nadia speaking their native tongue and they picked up Kay from the tigers back. The tiger stayed though and came over to nuzzle the hyena wound from the previous evening and Steve winced. Nadia knelt down, "hyena's have poisonous bites, come let me take care of this." He followed after the woman with the tiger in toe, "thank you..." "No worries, we owe the ronins a lot," she replied as they came to a small hut. She motioned for him to have a seat, "how long have you had that bite?" "Since last night," he answered. "I'm surprised its not septic," she replied as she knelt down to it. "I'm not exactly normal." "I see," she said as she went to a kettle of water she had boiling over a fire. She poured some into a pan, and then took out a clean rag from a chest. "You should leave here as soon as I fix your wound." "I can't do that, Ma'am, I made a promise." She looked him over and he could see the tiger look at him as well, "I see, you care for her." "She is a friend." "Is that all," she asked with a smirk. "You better pick your friends better Captain, this is a horse of a different color than aliens." He knew the reference, "yes...well..." She smiled at him, "you should let her know your feelings. Trust me, I've been there and done that." The tiger almost seemed to smirk at him before wandering out, and Steve asked trying to change the subject, "that's not a normal tiger, is he?" "White Blaze," she laughed, realizing what he was doing. "Oh, absolutely not. He's a guardian, he's as old as the armors are. He came here several years ago when things became peaceful again. We appreciate his protection..." He could only think that made the creature odder than he originally expected as she cleaned the wound and it stung. She sighed, "you really are a super human, hyena's have terribly toxic bites that would have gotten gangrenous by now. So... I think you'll be fine." "May I go see Kay," he asked impatiently. "Yes, she's with the others," she said as she wrung out the towel. "Just go out and to you right a few doors down." Steve felt his ankle remain stiff but he didn't let it bother him as he walked down the row of houses. A man walked out of the one he looked and saw Kay by glancing in a door, a tall slender man with short curly white hair and dark skin. His eyes as cold as ice. He was muscular and wore only set of shorts, but Steve couldn't blame him the weather was ridiculously hot. The man grunted as he passed him and Steve walked in. There were four beds, three others taken by the warlords. Where was that silver haired woman? What was her name? Leah? She walked in soon after him, "no one trusted me to go check out the problem, so guess who's the nurse? Moi!" There was a thick french accent in her voice as she caught his eyes and he said, "well?" "The warlords are not the men they were before their armors," she paused as she sat down a container of water that she had obtained. "Me and my brother were a Jesuit Priest's children from the catholic church sent to spread the word of god. Of course the one who killed my family is dead, but I recognize the type of men they were and they are not them now." Steve didn't say anything. "What you must think of us old creatures," she said running a hand through her hair. She glanced at Kayura, "I understand why she is ill, not them." "I takes a lot more courage to not to fight when it is necessary then fight for the sake of fighting." Leah rolled her eyes at him, "I should have figured you're a bleeding heart hero." He only shrugged, "what are you doing here then?" "Honestly, I just don't like any consequence of this situation," she paused, "Kunito opening the gates, and or finding the heart. That all sounds like killing this universe. I may disagree on whether or not I like humans, but this universe, I am quite fond of." "You are human yourself." "Do you really think that any of us armor bearers are humans, maybe once, but not anymore...not even the Ronins with their high and mighty virtues," she paused and looked at Kayura, "especially her. She may have been born on Earth, but she never lived like one. She has nothing in common with you, American Boy other than you both got fucked over like the rest of us." "Life and joy, you are," he said as she placed cool cloths on each of their foreheads. "Anything but," she paused in front of him before placing one on Kay's forehead. "Nadia has her people looking for a flower that will cure them of the fever but it will take a while. Sit with them while I go get some food, I'll bring you some back." Steve rolled his eyes as she walked out, he opened up his suit a bit, he was starting to sweat terribly and sat down on the floor next to Kay. There she was looking like a sleeping angel and he leaned his head against the softness of the looked at her as he heard a large commotion outside. He was on his feet instantly as the ground shook. 


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty Two

She remembered his smell and his warmth in the darkness. It was strange, she wasn't asleep just her body wouldn't obey her commands but that moment in his arms during the night was something that made her want to wake up. She wanted to wake and tell him how she felt, it was eating at her insides now. She heard conversations but they weren't loud enough for her to make out and she felt the warlords nearby. What would Dais say if Steve asked him if he could be with her? Would he protest? Would he challenge him?

Her eyes fluttered open just White Blaze sent crashing through the wall and Steve went to catch the beast but ended tumbling with it. She stirred as she saw a young man walk in through the downed wall. He had dark skin with pale blue hair and eyes the color of Lapis Lazuli. He wore a dark suit without a shirt and shoes and he caught her eyes, "I see then...father was trying to keep me away from here."

Kayura's mind was fuzzy as the big white beast and Steve charge the man who knocked the beast away again into another wall which he fell down in a heap. Steve and the man traded several blows but failed to land any each despite what she felt was a sluggish movement in the man who had taken care of her so well. Steve was finally punched into the gut and she could hear the air from his lungs and she managed to yell as she felt the ogre burn in her pocket, "STEVE!"

"Oh, you're awake," the man smiled and started heading towards her.

She felt her stomach and ribs burn which caused her to grasp at her stomach rather than grab for the Ogre, he grabbed by the hair and heaved her to her feet. She could see the other war lords stirring as pain seared through her...but it wasn't the man who was causing her the pain. No, this was every nerve that was on fire but not with the energy of the Ogre...no this was something else. She should have felt it before, this definitely wasn't the armors...this was something completely else. She could see in the warlord's eyes, it wasn't them that was waking up. Their eyes burned with the darkness of the armors that she had only seen when Talpa was in control of them.

"Don't put on the armors," she yelled as she reached in her pocket and threw the orb she carried to Steve. She felt pain seize her as she did so, like she was throwing away a part of her existence.

Steve coughed up blood and managed to get to his feet as the man with white hair walked in again with Nadia by his side as she said, "son, enough of this! This is not our ways!"

The young man threw Kayura into Dais, who caught her limply as Steve managed to stand up and grab her, "are you alright?"

She nodded lightly and leaned into him, "yes..."

"Not our ways," the young man bellowed, "you sent me on a farce to the Wakadans so that you could have them all here! You knew the armors were waking, it is my turn to take my place on the thrown."

The white haired man shook his head and Nadia said, "please, come over for a moment and let us tell..."

"No," he yelled, "I'm tired of you telling what is the right when our people were doing the other way for thousands of years! That is why Wakanda is trying to take our land, they see us as weak!"

"What now," Steve asked as White Blaze slowly got up.

The tiger grabbed the two of them up and jumped through the hole in the wall and dashed out, they could see Leah collapsed with her sword next to her. Her armor dented in her stomach where she had been hit. She was grasping for air as White Blaze slid behind her just as the man walked out after them. His father tried to grab him but the young man threw him and Nadia tried to place a hand on her son but he shoved her back.

Steve managed to sit up with Kay and realized that the man was teaming with a dark electric energy. Like the one that brought down the plane. His father got up and charged his son with the same energy but young man just smiled and threw his father hard as the three war lords walked out of the house. Kale was holding a thrashing Nadia in his arms with his claws at her throat. His father paused as he got up, grunting in anger.

"Cho Ryu HA!"

"Gan TESSAI"

White Blaze grabbed Leah by the back of the armor and pulled her out of the way as the ground shook and there was a large explosion. Kayura managed to sit up, "don't give me the armor no matter what."

The smoke cleared and they saw Maria run through as Cye and Sage faced off against the warlords. She helped Leah up who was starting to wake, "we got to go!"

White Blaze roared in response as they started out of the village. They ran into the strange looking forest as Leah complained, "that gentleman has a stiff punch..."

"Yeah, he does, he's more like his father than I care to remember," Maria said as the forest began to clear and they came a strange canyon. It wasn't tall but it filled the same strange crystals from the cave but some were as large people. Steve felt Kay shake and collapse over onto the tiger.

He protested, "we can't go this way...these will kill her!"

"We don't have much choice," Maria said as they walked deeper.

Steve looked back and could see the young man halting at the edge of the canyon and turn back around. Steve asked, "what is this place?"

"The place where the two suns were born," Leah said as she shed her armor. "Why the ancient one chose to tie the ronin armors to these monsters is beyond me."

"I think it was so they could be separate entity from Talpa," Maria said quietly. "But I don't know if it separated him or made him stronger."

Steve held onto Kay as she shook. He held her close as he felt her skin grow hot as they walked deeper. The canyon came to an end and she seemed to calm down but they were surrounded by crystals. He climbed off of the tiger and picked her up to lay her down. He looked up at Maria, "I'm tired of asking what happened."

"He knocked the plane down," she said, "His name is Elimu and he is the son of Mukala and Nadia. He is as interested in creating the black armor to coup his dad."

"No luck on the kids then," he asked.

She nodded, "they are here, they're being held in prison probably with Kento and Cye by now."

"How does a human have strength like that," Leah complained sitting down. "What the hell happened to the warlords? I've never seen armors act like that, even when controlled by my Lady."

"They're possessed by the black inferno," Maria answered, "I know its ridiculous but they have succumbed to their armors ill intentions for endless battle."

Steve looked at the tiny glass ball in his hand, "is that why she threw it away?"

Maria sat down as White Blaze curled around Kayura, "yeah, I suppose. Those two are the oldest of friends."

Leah frowned, "so what now. If that pint sized man can whoop us so easily in our armors, what other choice is there than to run?"

"Other than we can't leave our comrades," Steve said.

"Bleeding heart freak," she said with growl.

Maria rubbed her head, "I think we should rest for now. Honestly, last time I was in this situation it was about time rather than action. Me and Leah are going to look for a way out if need be just with her Cap. I think Elimu might need her."

He nodded as the two women vanished. He sat with his back against White Blaze on the opposite side, and said, "thanks for last night, cat."

Steve looked at the woman who was snuggled next to the giant cat. Suddenly he had an odd thought, it seemed like his life was getting stranger by the day. Chitauri and sentient robots seemed plausible but a thousand year old priestess abducted by demons forced to live among humans? It seemed like dream, especially considering maria had a hidden identity that consisted of a life of mystical armors. How could things not get any weirder? Oh yeah, there's a demon out there trying to annihilate their planet to get back to her own.

"I told you at the beginning not to get involved."

He looked at her, she was pale as a ghost and drenched in sweat but it didn't seem to stop her from trying to get up. He insisted, "and i told you i would help where i could."

He held up the orb and she said, "this might not be a war you can win."

"Might be one you can," he paused, "why are you so scared of this power that everyone else seems so willing to give into?"

"You saw them right?"

"The warlords?"

"Their souls are corrupted by the urge to fight continuously. " she said as White Blaze purred against her, "on and on. The heart of talpa still beats in us all. I cant and i will not feed his desires again. I did that once..."

He could see her hand twisted up tight in the tigers fur, and her legs shook. She was using every ounce of her energy to support herself. Was she doing that for his sake? So that she didn't look like she was weak? He slipped the orb into his uniform, "i will hold onto it but you might find something to fight for eventually. "

She felt him approach her and she let go of the tiger to rest against him. She could hear his heart in his chest and the pull of the armor. Steve wrapped an arm around the small of her back and she looked up into his blue eyes. He looked like a heroic god of legends with the sun beating down on his battle worn skin and golden hair. She laid her hands on his chest and traced the silvery star with her delicate index finger, "and what if i have already?"

"Then what frightens you, " he asked as he watched lay her head back against him. Was it possible she felt the same way? He felt a lump in his throat.

She mumbled , "that i might break that someone. "

"I doubt that they're as fragile as you fear ," he said quietly.

"And what if seeing me as the true monster i can be will enough to," she asked.

He lifted her face to look at him, her eyes seemed so blue, and her lips so red. He couldn't help but want to kiss them, it didn't seem appropriate though considering where they were. And he still wasn't certain she was talking about him , "are they worth it though?"

Kayura couldn't stand it, "yes, i think he's worth going to hell and back for. "

"Sounds like one hell of man. "

"He's one hell of a legend himself," she said touching his face which was strangely soft to the touch. "An angel in a world full of demons. "

He laid his hand on hers, "even Lucifer was an angel once. "

Kayura felt white blaze circle around them anxiously. The cat chuffed lightly and pushed his head against his bad ankle. Steve fell with kay but turned in the fall so she would land on top of him. Her lips were so close to his, her hot breath warm on his. He asked as he wrapped an arm around her waist, "may i?"

He saw her gulp and nod ever so slightly and he pulled her in. Her lips were soft and warm against his. He was sure his kiss was hard and rough against her perfect skin.

"Bravo!"

The two broke their kiss at the familiar and dark chuckle. White Blaze growled deeply as they scrambled to their feet and saw kunito sitting on the giant crystals. She jumped down and grinned, "now that i see it, its so obviously perfect! The girl born to be hero who becomes the greatest of all demons and the man who is a legend like a god. Honestly, i like this universe much more than my own but its just too bad. "

Kayura saw a shadow move through the crystals, "so this is your fault as well?"

"It was waiting to happen," she laughed as she touched a hand to the crystal and darkness filled it. "I just poked the beast so to speak..."

Kayura felt it stir and felt the fire fill her body and she collapsed over onto White Blaze. Steve was really wishing for his shield at the moment, but he would do with just his fists. Kunito grinned but then frowned as she heard, "Kusunagi no Tsurugi!"

A bright light blinded them Steve shielded his eyes and heard a clank of a sword. He looked up and saw Maria on the edge of the cliff with his shield. She threw it and he caught it just as Kunito summoned a long blade, "enough!"

They crystals coursed with the dark energy and Steve felt the vibranium well vibrate. What was it that Nadia had said about the metal? Kunito threw the sword at Leah and he threw his shield. Leah ducked down as the blade touched the shield. It was almost instantaneous, and Steve grabbed Kayura to shield her as the air rippled with an explosive vibration. The crystals almost seemed to sing an he looked up as he felt the air go still. He didn't realize that Kayura had grabbed the orb from his suit and she smiled at him as she kissed his cheek, "Hito wa tenshi no ikken no tame ni akuma ni michita sekai o tatakau koto ga arimasu. (a person may fight a world full of demons for the glimpse of an angel.)"


	34. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty Three

Wanda nervously walked into detainment area, she had to know something for herself. Hoshi had found a wheelchair with the help of Tony an she saw them around the base but she was still curious about these ronins. The blonde caught a glimpse of her first, his eyes were as cold as ice and she said, "Sage Date, I presume."

"You presume well," he said with a smirk. "You are?"

"Wanda," she said curtly. She could feel the power from both of them. She saw the dark haired man look over at her briefly with his electric blue eyes but then he returned to being hunched over on his knees.

He stood up and smiled, "you're cute. Are you a super hero?"

"Flattery won't get you far," she replied.

"Saucy," he grinned to himself. "And what's your super power then? Are you a freak like the captain, an alien god like Thor, or someone who uses technology to their advantage?"

She definitely didn't like him but she needed to know something, "you're about to find out."

"Oh," he laughed as if something donned on him the second she spoke, "I see you have something you need from me."

She realized he may have powers because of his armor as she came close to the glass, she did need something from him. A memory. She asked, "may I ask or do I have to make you tell me?"

He stood up and ever so stoically said, "what if I prefer the latter?"

"Ew," she said which made him smile.

"So what do you want to know?"

"Who gave you your armor back," she asked.

"You want to know too," he asked. "Well, I'm sure you have a ways of making me talk but there's something I want to know from you. Why are you so concerned about this? You're not head over heals for one of us like Kay is? So what's in it for you?"

She remembered the darkness from touching kunito, "what would someone do to bring back Talpa?"

She saw the dark haired man turn around again, "you shouldn't even know that name."

"I do though, and I've seen the terrible things he's done to you all," she said softly. "But I am certain that he's going to come back into existence."

Ryo started laughing, "it seems we will never be rid of him."

Sage thought about it, "I suppose he would be able to defeat Kunito."

"Are you insane," Ryo grumbled.

"I doubt Hoshi can," Sage laughed. "She's hiding that secret well."

"What secret," Wanda asked.

Sage came close to the glass and smiled, "that the Owari is fatal."

"It is," she asked, "why would she hide such a thing?"

"Why do you think she never fights the Nendo?" He paused, "she fought one of the first ones to come through and I saw the symptoms of her nerve damage come back. She won't walk again. I assure you."

"Who would know how to summon Talpa then?"

The two men looked at each other, and Ryo said, "Yuli."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose," Sage smirked to himself. He smiled at her, "our Queen is coming, you best be on your way, cutie."

She wanted to punch him but decided to walk out of the hall and she stood behind a wall listening as Hoshi rolled back in with Tony. Hoshi asked, "so where is he?"

"I can't tell you, but I can show you," Sage smiled at the woman.

Tony asked, "so you're willing to help us find this boy then?"

"Not a boy now," he replied, "and Maria will not tell you, I guarantee that. She didn't spend most of her life protecting him to do that. Besides, why do you think she volunteered for something that most likely will get her killed?"

Hoshi scowled, "she got to Fury before I could speak to her."

"Convenient."

Tony rolled his eyes, "you can just tell us..."

"I said, I don't know where it is, but I can show you," he said, "I was stranded somewhere in the middle of America on one of my tours. The town didn't have a name and no cell phone reception. He found me in the local bar."

Ryo grinned, "I still don't know how he found me."

She looked at Tony, "think this is a trap?"

He crossed his arms, "honestly, if you want to find the kid then you're going to need him."

Wanda bit her lip as she stepped back in, "I can help you find him."

Sage glowered at her, "stop being meddlesome!"

Tony grinned, "that would work."

Hoshi looked at her, "you are..."

"Wanda Maximoff," she said, "I can read his mind if you like. So you won't worry about being betrayed."

"And why didn't you tell me you had a mind reader on you side," Hoshi said scowling at Tony.

"Honestly, I didn't want to involve anymore people than we have to," he said looking at Wanda. He knew about her interaction with Kunito and wondered if she was up to it but he knew she was a tough cookie. "Well...go on do your thing."

Hoshi seemed curious as the woman stepped towards the glass, Sage just smirked at her and said, "I told you I prefer the latter."

Wanda ignored his comment as she felt her power course into her hand. She flicked it towards the blonde and instantly saw a memory of a man she recognized clearly. It took her a moment to process but she knew the man well and said, "I don't think he's in Tahiti but its better if I take you rather than tell you."

Tony raised an eyebrow, "why?"

"It's someone who might not appreciate being on the records," she said bluntly. "And by all honesty, I'm a bit confused myself."

Sage smiled, "told you."

"I still have half a mind to execute you," Hoshi said with a grumble.

"I think it'll make more sense to you," Wanda said to Hoshi and then realized she did have a terrible fate. "But before I do that, can I ask one thing?"

"Sure, I suppose," Hoshi said with a frown.

"Do you regret any of the changes you made to their fates," Wanda asked. "I saw what should have been when I touched Kunito, and what could have been, and what you did to make sure that their fate was erased."

"I'd do again, a million times over," Hoshi said softly looking at Sage and Ryo. "Even for the ones who hate me, I would give my life again and again until they had a fate that was much kinder."

Ryo snickered, "we didn't ask for a savior."

"No, but I'll be a martyr if I have to," she replied angrily and wheeling past Tony. Out of the hall.

Tony asked suspiciously, "he's not the only one you've been mind melding have you."

Wanda walked past him, "you blindly walked into this mess with the rest of them. The least I can do is make sure that our team gets out of this in one piece."

"Good point," he said as he walked after her.


	35. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty Four

"Ko Rai Sei," Kayura roared as she summoned the armor instantly. She could feel the power course through every vein as the chains blocked the attack from hitting them.

Kunito smiled as she picked up the shield and the smoke began to clear. The Oni was a beautiful armor now. A black sub armor cover in dark red plates with a terrifying snarling mask with large horns. There was a gold sleeveless coat over the whole thing. The smoke cleared and she saw chains protecting the others.

The helmet vanished from the Oni, her eyes glowed with rage, "you won't touch them."

"Still so loyal to your virtue," Kunito laughed, "even when its because of your anger. You still protect the ones you love. Loyal but willing to be cruel."

Steve stood up, "Kay?"

She just clutched the kasari gama and charged the woman as Leah got to her feet with her sword. She smiled at the girl, "bout time you put that on."

Kayura jumped in the air, "Cho Ryu Ha!"

Kunito laughed as she umped back from the chain that struck in the ground. Leah grabbed the shield and threw it to Cap as chains burst from the ground in a million directions. Steve bounced the chains off of his shield, protecting him and Blaze, as Kay and Kunito clashed blades but for every blade. He could see her eyes burning with a fire that he had never seen before. It was like she wasn't even in there.

Maria climbed down, "while she's keeping her busy, lets get our prisoners out."

He couldn't argue with that logic as she jumped on White Blaze's back. The tiger ran along with him through the canyon and he said, "her eyes..."

"We don't have time to worry about that right now," she said angrily. "I'm so dumb, so very dumb. I should have realized this was a ploy to get the other inferno since she couldn't have the white inferno. Wait! The Ferver! Where is it?"

"I'm assuming back in the hutch," he said because that was the last place he saw kayura with it. "You have a plan."

"You won't like it," she said.

"Why?"

They entered the village and saw Elimu waiting with the sword in hand, "looking for this?"

He stood in front of the three warlords who looked liked zombies, Steve wasn't looking forward to fighting them. Elimu walked between the warlords, "well go on then."

Dais vanished almost instantly as the other two pulled out their swords. Maria hissed, "Sekh has poison blades and Kale can freeze you solid, be careful Steve."

"Great," he mumbled to himself as the two men charged him.

Maria and White Blaze slipped around them as she heard clanging come from the shield. She wasn't going to worry too much about him, she needed the sword for her plan to work. Besides, he fought aliens and robots, he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. White Blaze slid to a halt as a thousand little strands of spider silk grabbed her up. She yelped as she saw Dais appear and she saw White Blaze jump at him to only be snared as well.

Dais raised his spider leg like weapon but Steve's shield bounced him away and cut them down. White Blaze grabbed Maria and Steve, "get the sword!"

She nodded as the tiger charged after Elimu.

The tiger leaped at the man, who charged up dark energy. White Blaze bounded around it as the man threw another electrified punch. The tiger roared and as Elimu knocked her off the tiger. He grabbed her around the neck, "I know about your last adventure here. You should stop meddling in things that could get you killed."

Steve was thrown into White Blaze by the warlords.

"Well, that was a good show," kunito laughed as she dragged the two women behind by their subarmors. "It was a good try, but honestly, it was as pathetic as the two ronins earlier."

Elimu smiled, "we had a deal. You give me Kayura, I give you the sword."

"Deal," she grinned as she threw Kayura into the warlords.

Maria squirmed, "don't!"

"Elimu stop," cried a girls voice.

Steve managed to look back and saw a girl who looked oddly familiar. She wore a long skirt and loose knit sweater over a thin spaghetti strap tank. She was tall and thin with long dark blue hair and sapphire colored eyes. Her features were mostly angular but her face had gentle features.

Elimu looked back at her, "stay out of this Junko."

"You don't need their power," she said.

"Says the girl who'll inherit the Tenku," he replied as she walked between them.

Kunito pinched her nose, "just give me the sword..."

"Shin KU HA!"

Maria elbowed Elimu in his gut and slipped down as a golden light hit Kunito. She cursed, "what?"

Elimu reeled back as Steve knocked him flat with a punch, he saw a young man who looked an awful like Kento standing behind Junko with a golden bow, "stay down, kid."

Maria grabbed the sword, "I'm sorry, Steve."

Steve saw her charge Kayura as she unsheathed the blade, "Maria, don't!"

The blade pierced her chest like a hot knife through butter.


	36. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty Five

Hoshi wheeled down the ramp as the quinn jet touched down, there was a small town in the distance. She was still good at working a wheel chair from when she was partially paralyzed. Luckily Stark had been smart enough to park near the road for her, she saw Wanda walk beside her quietly as Tony finished a call he was placing to Pepper. Hoshi looked at the woman, "so what are you?"

"Not quite sure, I think I fit under Oracle," she paused, "maybe psychic."

Hoshi heard Seiza snort mentally, "maybe?"

"I honestly don't fit one criteria," she said.

"Oh, you were a product of Baron Strucker," she asked.

She nodded quietly, "yes..."

"You're not the only person he messed with here," she said softly. "I don't talk much about my days in the gulf war...but Strucker was head of the Beserker program. There was a reason why I left." Hoshi paused and then yelled, "Stark, can we get a move on!"

Wanda walked with her towards the road as Tony came out, "this place looks really familiar..."

"I don't know where he lives, but you do Tony," Wanda said as they walked into town.

He looked around, "I do...Hoshi..."

The city was desolate and empty as they strolled in. Wanda couldn't feel anyone around, it was very similar to the event that occurred moments before Kunito appeared. She said, "everyone is gone."

Hoshi sighed heavily, "well, Tony?"

He looked around and saw a pickup truck at a bar that looked familiar, "wait..."

"Is that where we should go," Hoshi asked.

"Yeah, Hoshi...what do you know about this?"

She sighed as she wheeled along, "I know that Maria took Yuli with her when she joined S.H.I.E.L.D. There was a program called Tahiti, all I knew about it was that it was that one of my fellow beserkers was said to have been brain dead but a few weeks later we all saw Owl. He wasn't right in the head...Fury blamed lack of oxygen to his brain but Strucker...said he took a trip to Tahiti."

Tony crossed his arms, "well...I hope that's what you were expecting."

Hoshi watched him walk over and open the door for her and the wheel chair. Wanda walked after her and saw the man who had saved her months ago. He smiled at her and Tony, "good to see you all."

Tony then said to Wanda, "why didn't you just say Clint!"

"I had a feeling we should go rather than call," she replied.

Hoshi starred at the man quietly as the two bickered at which was more efficient. How did she not see it before? She had seen him in the news more than once. A heroic mortal who could keep up with super powered folks with only a bow and arrow. Of course it was him, "how long have you remembered?"

He smiled at her, he had aged unlike the rest of them. His skin was sun kissed but his smile and eyes were the same as they were she first met him. He popped open a beer, "Loki tried his hand at mind control and whatever Tahiti put in place was lodged free."

Tony frowned, "wait, what?"

Clint sipped his beer, "I was the kid in the photo."

Tony grabbed his phone from his pocket and brought up the glanced between it and Clint, "I see it but you never said anything?"

He snorted, "you think you would believe me if I said that the first twenty years of my life were implanted by a computer? That I was actually the adopted son of the woman we all know as Maria, who is somehow not aging, and I was brain damaged in a battle of mystical samurai and demons?"

Tony shrugged, "Thor might have believed you."

"That last twenty years have been amazing, I couldn't just give them up" he said with a smile. "I love Laura and my kids, I could never just walk away. It's not like being an Avenger changed anything."

"You have kids," Hoshi beamed.

"Two boys and a girl," he grinned.

Tony rubbed his head, "nope. Still don't get it."

Hoshi wheeled around to look at him, "during his days with us. Rowen was one of his many teachers. I'm not surprised you chose a bow."

Wanda asked, "is this another ghost event?"

"No," he said, "I pulled some strings to put a evacuation order in for this town. I remember what ghost events were like. Thank you, Wanda for bringing them."

She smiled as Hoshi asked, "why give them their armors back though?"

"I didn't plan it, I was asked to," he said glancing back into the dark bar.

They saw a woman move forward, she had long red hair and eyes like green emeralds. She wore a long mans trench coat over jeans and a tshirt. She smiled, "I didn't know who among them I could trust, Kitten."

Hoshi asked, "Raleigh, dammit, why didn't you just call me?"

"Like I said I didn't know who I could trust," she said, "I found an old friend of ours from the S.H.I.E.L.D days when Hydra over threw S.H.I.E.L.D. He wasn't right in the head, talking about something you had mentioned briefly when I asked where Mia went with Yuli. He kept talking about Tahiti..."

"It was just a little while before she contacted me," he said sipping his beer.

Raleigh smiled, "I had to make sure what I was doing was correct. I think I did the right thing..."

"Almost everyone is alive, so yeah," Hoshi paused.

Tony scowled at Clint, "so why are you the one who's old?"

"Gee, thanks Stark," he paused, "maybe because my head was scrambled by the black inferno? I don't know honestly."

Wanda had to ask, "why did you ask him to give the armors back in the first place?"

"We could always trust Yuli," Raleigh said with a smile at him. "We have met? I'm Raleigh Smith."

Wanda Maximoff she replied as she saw the woman hold out a hand, and she reached out to shake it but didn't see a thing, "its a pleasure."

"I'm sure it is," she said with a smile then turned to Hoshi. "Onto other business then, now that we have all met."

Tony crossed his arms in disapproval, "I still don't get why."

Clint looked at Hoshi, "you haven't said anything have you?"

Tony looked at the woman in the wheelchair, "what haven't you said?"

"Rowen wasn't dumb enough to make armor, unless he had a good reason," Clint laughed. "You know he was dumb but he was pationately dumb."

Tony glarred, "what is he talking about?"

"The Owari has side affects," she said touching the black orb on the necklace. "Rowen didn't make the armors to fight Nendo, he knew we could take them out in small amounts. He made them because the Owari is killing me."

Raleigh looked away as Tony asked, "what?"

"The armor that I bare is the sister armor to Raleigh's," she paused to glance at the red head. "The Izanagi and the Izanami are opposites like the infernos are. The Izanagi brings life to the armors, while the Izanami takes life. I figured it meant I could destroy the armors, but it comes at a cost. At first, the armor took away the damage from the war but...the last battle I noticed the the nerve damage in my leg was back. I fought a few Nendo and things got worse with every battle...I stopped fighting just a few years after the battle. Kayura was able to handle most of the battles that I couldn't."

"So its killing you," Tony said crossing his arms. He rubbed his head, "god, I knew Rowen wasn't so dumb but I didn't realize how much he loved you."

Hoshi scowled, "what does that mean?"

"I mean, I always thought with Kento around he might not be so loving," he paused. "Guess I was wrong."

Wanda rubbed her brow at his statement, "you're in a wheel chair, its only going to kill if you if you keep fighting."

"That's what the armors are for," Clint said. "I couldn't let my favorite teachers be a martyr like all her predecessors."

Hoshi held her chest all of a sudden, it felt like her heart was going to being ripped out of her chest. She felt like every nerve in her body was being ripped out. The world began to spin as she fell from her chair and to the floor. She looked up and saw a golden figure move through the room, _'hello, old friend.'_


	37. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty Six

Kayura saw the endless sea of stars in every direction. She realized she was in the nether realm and she heard the sound of a bell. She turned and saw a golden light in the distance and decided to walk towards it. The water she walked on was still enough to capture the familiar stars as she walked towards the golden light. She saw a familiar face and he said, "its time to wake, Kay."

Kayura felt the fire flooding her veins. It wasn't the fire she felt earlier, it was different. It was like eating a warm bowl of Miso on a cold evening and feeling the chill spread through her bones. She heard someone yell out her name and her eyes snapped open. She saw the warlords leaning over her, snapped out of their daze and sadness in their eyes but it was Steve who was holding her with tears in his. The remembered Maria stabbing her with blade vaguely, "don't worry, it'll take a lot more than that to kill me."

Steve held her close, "what did she do..."

"What needed to be done," she said kissing his cheek and whispered in his ear, "take them with you Steve, they need a hero of their own..."

"Kay," he asked as he saw the tiger move towards her.

White Blaze picked up the blood covered blade and his stripes became black as night and eyes glows deep yellow as a white armor spread across him. He could hear the crystals chiming and the sword turned black. Dais helped Kay up, "you don't have to do this child."

"Sure I do," she said, "what good is an ancient who doesn't fight to the very end?"

"Well I was tired of Earth anyways," said Kale crossing his arms.

"Yes, poisons aren't as lush here," added Skeh with a rattle of the tongue.

Kayura felt Steve standing firm, "I said go be a hero."

"I have to do one thing first," he paused to look at Dais. "Watashi wa kekkon de kanojo no te o shitaidesu. (I want her hand in marriage.)"

"Nani," Kayura said turning scarlet and looking at him with big eyes.

Dais barked out a laugh as Steve explained, "I realized a while back that this is what my life is, that no normal girl would ever be able to urk it out with me. I missed my opportunity before, I won't miss it again. Besides, it gives you a reason to come back to me."

Dais looked at the other two warlords, "well, I don't see why not. She could have done worse. She could have married Ryo."

She frowned at the silver haired man, "thanks old man."

"That's nice and all, but what did that do other than break the inferno's hold on them," Kunito interrupted as she threw the young man with the armor of Strata out of the way.

Maria smiled, "I made her a conduit. There's a reason why the armor didn't go to Elimu. Years ago, the armors died to protect Nadia and Mukala. The inferno would never touch them again. The inferno chose a new bearer, it just needed to know who supported her."

Kayura gave Steve a kiss, "I said get them out of here."

He nodded as he walked back to Maria, Elimu was laying in pain from a punch he returned him. Leah was still out, he picked her up. Her armor was ridiculously heavy but he wouldn't put her down. Maria helped Elimu stand and yelled at Junko and Seito, "get Cye and Kento, we're heading for the jet."

Kayura took the sword from Black Blaze, "Kunito, no more."

She grinned ear to ear, "the inferno would never choose you!"

Loyalty burned brightly in her forehead as Dais, Sekh, and Kale came to her side each with their respective virtues burning bright. Steve looked back as all four were engulfed with brilliant light, unlike anything he had seen from the armors. He her the crystals chiming again and saw the brilliant light coming from them. Kayura stood alone when the light faded, she wore an all black armor that unlike anything he had seen before. It was terrifying but beautiful at the same time, "that's the inferno?"

"Yes, lets go lover boy," Maria ordered as she ran with him and Elimu.

"Oh," Kunito laughed, "I wasn't planning for that to happen. Darn that Heart, always one step ahead."

Kayura turned the black katana into a large blade with a swish to the left and charged the woman, "you aren't going to do anything to this realm."

Kunito dodged her attack and summoned a shield to block her other attacks, "always a pain in my ass."

Kayura jumped at the woman, "I don't know what happened in your realm but I won't let it happen here."

"Don't you see, it already is!"

Kayura slammed the sword on the shield, "because of you!"

"You fool," Kunito roared summoning a sword and slashing back.

"Flare up now," Kayura roared jumping in the air. She could feel the spirits of the warlords with her, guiding every move. Showing her weaknesses with their centuries of battle experience. The ground ripped open as Kunito summoned her shield.

"Using that armor will reign destruction, you know that," Kunito laughed. "Either way your world is doomed."

"That's the thing, I know how to open the doors to the nether realm and seal them so tight that even I won't be able to leave," she said quietly. "I sure as hell will fight with you for all eternity if that's what it takes."

"You'd do that for them?"

"Yes, I messed up once, I won't do that again," she yelled slamming her back. "Flare UP NOW!"

Kunito yelled as the woman hit her again with an attack stronger than the first which slammed her into the ground. The air chimed, and the ground shook heavily with the impact. Kayura stabbed the blade deep into her stomach and saw red blood, there was the sound of bells in the air as Kunito struggled. "No, stop this! You can't do this to me! I was so close!"

Kayura closed her eyes as she felt the energy course through the blade and into the blood, "hiraku! (Open!)"

There was the sound of bells as a door appeared. It opened wide and Kunito saw the golden beast step through, _"hello, Kunito? Did you miss me?"_

"No," she yelled, "your wrong, this is wrong! We could have made it through!"

The golden creature leaned over and kissed her forehead, _"its time to sleep now. You tried your best, but you lost..."_

"No, we could have done this together."

" _I'm sure we could have,"_ she said looking at Kay. _"Its time to go."_

Kayura nodded shedding the armor in a million rays of light that fluttered around like butterflies. Each one landed on Kunito's skin, and as each one landed her skin turned black like it was charred. She screamed until there was nothing left to scream with and only cinders remained. The golden beast stood up and held out a hand to Kayura, the warlords had appeared and fallen to the ground. Dais smiled, "give em hell."

She nodded, "you know, I will."

Kayura took the beast's hand and walked though with her. The door slammed shut and tight and vanished. Dais felt the connection break and he yelled out in pain. He saw a small red haired child standing in the ash of the fallen god, "you passed her test you know."

"Dare, (who?)" Dais urked.

"The heart," she smiled, "I promise you she will be back but when she returns be prepared for a long battle, Masho. You need to get your warriors together soon, and your queen ready for war, the war of the armors is on its way..."

Dais felt pain of all sorts flow through him and blackness set in.


	38. Epilogue

Epilogue

Hoshi rubbed her brow, she had been at this base for far too many hours. She shooed the doctor away complaining he didn't know what he was talking about and then slipped into the wheelchair. She had protested coming back but Tony was strangely into protecting her. Guilt perhaps? She didn't know and she didn't like it. Either way, she hated being in military compounds. Seiza said, 'you felt it though?'

'Kayura bears the black inferno.'

'Irony isn't it,' Seiza replied sadly. 'She also left for the nether realm.'

Hoshi quietly pondered as her head throbbed, she was hungry but she would deal with that later. She heard the ring of bell and she looked back at the child spirit in the corner of the lonely room, "you're meddling again, Suzunagi?"

"It is not I this time, my Lady," she replied. "Remember the tale of the two armors."

"Destruction will fall Earth, should they exist together," she recited from memory. She rubbed her head, "let me be honest, I can't deal with you right now."

The little girl giggled, "did I ever tell you my favorite tales are of the heroic kind?"

Hoshi thought about stories like Momotaro, Susanoo, and Raijin, "what are you trying to tell me? I also don't have time for your riddles."

Suzunagi just smiled as the door opened and her eyes grew wide as she a man stand in the door way. She felt tears stung her eyes, "Big Faun!"

He smiled at her as the two kids pushed past him and yelled, "MOM!"

Junko and Seito hugged the silver haired woman, they looked haggard but she assumed she didn't look much better. Hoshi rubbed a hand through their hair and kissed their foreheads, "what did I tell you about traipsing about like that?"

Junko and Seito began their tales at the same time but Hoshi couldn't understand any of it with them talking over each other, all she knew was she felt the armor of Strata with Seito. Which was strange to her but he seemed more likely than Junko because of his mannerisms, "hold up..."

Kento said, "guys, your mom is not well...go hang out with the colonel for a while. I'll let her know."

The two scowled and left quietly as he knelt down in front of her, and touched the chair, "what's this?"

She scowled at him, "the owari..."

He kissed her cheek softly, "the armors have their consequences, right?"

She looked away, "why is Seito the bearer of Strata?"

"Darned if I know," he said with a shake of the head. "I mean other than he's a lot wiser than his sister, who is technically Ro's, I don't know. Speaking of which..."

"Why were they in Africa?"

"Apparently, Elimu and her met at that Gala..."

Hoshi rubbed her forehead, "didn't I tell her not to get involved with him?"

He nodded, "he's having a long talk with his parents...Cye and Raleigh are going to your father's place to set up."

"We're staying then," she asked.

"Obviously, we're meant to be here," he said, "this won't be resolved by you taking the armors again."

"Yeah," she paused, "the warlords?"

"Gone, like normal."

"Hm," she replied thinking that Dais knew something she needed to know. The last few years, he had been less forth coming with her and she wondered why but she paid it no mind until. "I'm guessing Maria is well?"

"Oh, yeah, and we found White Blaze."

"Oh," she paused in shock as Seiza snickered.

Kento was about to continue talking as the door opened again and Hoshi smiled as she saw Clint walk in. Her husband looked at him strangely and then looked at her questionably as the man said, "Fury seems to be avoiding you like the plague."

"He would," she laughed.

Kento raised an eyebrow as the man continued, "he wants you to talk to Cap though."

"Me?"

He nodded, "says you owe him a favor."

Hoshi rubbed her brow again, "about?"

"Says you'll know," he said.

Hoshi nodded and then said Kento trying to discern his face, "your that spy...right? The one that's part of the avengers..."

She snorted, "is that really where you recognize him from."

Clint smiled at Kento. Hoshi could swear that mischievous smile was the work of Kento back from the early days. He held out a hand to the big man, "Clint Barton."

Kento shook it, "wait...uh...minute..."

Clint smiled.

"You and that red head caused that incident Kyoto," he complained as the man laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

Kento paused again.

"No..."

Clint nodded, "hey, there Kento."

"Little Buddy," he said in shock and grabbing him into a bear hug. "You...you're an avenger! I think that might be cooler than us...wait why'd you pick a bow? Out of all of our weapons..."

Hoshi snickered lightly, "I'm going to let you boys catch up while I go talk to the Cap then."

"He's hanging out with Blaze in the hanger, Fury didn't like the idea of big cat in the base," Clint said. "Seems like they're friends now though."

Hoshi smiled to herself as she wheeled out of the room. She was able to find the hanger fairly easily by following the looks of uneasy soldiers. Guns, bombs, and possibility of super natural shenanigans didn't seem to bother them but a gigantic wild feline. She understood their fear.

It seemed like the Captain was the only one not afraid of the beast. Feeding him some of his rations as she rolled into view. She hadn't had a whole lot of talk with him but he seemed like a decent man. Especially if Tony was trying to set him up with her Kay. His blonde hair and blue eyes would kill any girl, and she wondered how her warlord felt. It was hard not to fall for a man like that.

White Blaze bounded to her the instant he saw her and she scratched his head, "hello, old friend. You got mad at Ryo too? Don't worry, you'll see him soon."

The beast chuffed as he scratched himself against her chair and she caught the Captain's eyes. He reminded her so much of someone from her past, "we haven't really had a chance to meet have we? I apologize that I can't stand at attention, sir."

He looked at her, "doctor Hoshi Nakano. You were at the one party that where Tony made a complete fool of himself in Brooklyn."

"Isn't that every time he throws a party," she laughed, "where is the fool anyways?"

"Said something about checking on Pepper, Ma'am."

"Always on something that one is and they say that I'm manic," she mumbled and then paused, "You don't have to call me that Captain, I was in the army just like you were. I think we can be frank with one another as experiments of S.H.I.E.L.D as well."

White Blaze trotted back to the man sitting on cargo boxes and nuzzled him, "your one of the originals they talk about then."

"Yes, and I met Peggy once."

He nodded, "and?"

"Stubborn lady but fairly certain of my surgical skills long before I realized it was too late to use them," she paused. "She had a thing for seeing talent in people I suppose. She worked Rowen's dad as a liaison, suggesting Rowen go to MIT where he met Tony. Hell of a woman."

He folded his hands, "I fail to see why you bring her up."

"Tony was certain you had a thing for my Kay."

"Yours?"

He saw something dark flash in her eyes, "she is mine. Don't get me wrong, I want her to be happy but not the expense of our continuity."

He stood up, she wondered if he was trying to intimidate her. Had it been the old days, maybe it would have but she was hardly scarred of anything, "Did Fury send you here?"

"He did," she answered. "I brought up Peggy because I agree with her, I see great things from you but...falling in love with Kayura would be falling in love with a sword. No matter how gentle you are with her, she'll slice you open. I don't want you to be tied to our fate of destruction when your destined for a whole lot more."

He asked, "then you are against my proposal?"

"Proposal," she asked in shock. She shook her head and then said, "I'm guessing you asked Dais. Damn spider... No, you are more than welcome to tie your destiny to hers. I just wanted to give you fair warning that there will not be an easy future ahead."

He knelt down so he could at her in the eye, "Ma'am. I went through a war that saw no future and lived through something that should have killed me. I have had my share of mistakes and rough spots, so don't think I'm just some hero."

"Hm, you're stubborn like she is," she said with a smile and pinched his cheek. "Don't worry, she'll be back soon...ish..."

He nodded, "thanks doc."

She wheeled away from him easily, "I promise you, Captain, she'll be back...don't mope about too much!"

He sighed and looked down at the tiger who seemed to be shaking his head in disbelief. He scratched the cat's head, "she tellin' the truth, boy?"

White Blaze seemed to pause to think and licked his cheek like an over grown mastiff. Steve really hoped he could believe the small woman, but there was something about the way she acted that bothered him. She was right though, he wasn't going to mope for her just yet. He had a ghost to track down.

 **Abrupt ending is abrupt. I apologize for that, I feel like that the second part would have dragged on to long. Anyways, but the end is not the end! I wanted more cute moments with Kay and Steve, so I decided to continue the story when she comes back from the nether. I mean uber cute moments...like eating Sushi (Ookamiprincess) and awkward kisses. Anyways, give me a few days and there will cuteness overload. (I also wanted to thank Ookamiprincess for all the help.)**

 **To BE Continued in 'O Matsu'.**


End file.
